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When it comes to post-op follow-ups, it’s easy to spot best practice. It’s having a personalized and thorough conversation with every client after every procedure to get an accurate update on how each patient is doing.
But how do you make it happen? Staffing levels might be tight, and you certainly don’t want to tie up your staff for hours on the phone. Nor do you want to interrupt your clients in their busy day.
You could send an automated text with the standard message asking your client to contact you IF they have any concerns. Then, hope they’re knowledgeable enough to know what to look for and that they’ll contact you before a potential issue becomes serious.
Or, you could make use of AI and have a comprehensive, automated follow-up system that makes it easy for your clients to share information about their pet’s post-procedure progress in their own time.
Introducing the benefits of conversational AI
Virtual Vet Nurse is an AI conversational chatbot that will have these crucial conversations with your clients (in a way that’s convenient for them) and then seamlessly deliver the results back to your team.
With automated post-op surveys from Virtual Vet Nurse, you’ll be able to:
Dramatically reduce phone calls and save hours of staff time
Allow clients to answer when it’s convenient for them (no more interrupting their workday)
Ensure the right questions get asked every time (protecting your professional standards)
Ensure follow-up from a human team member when needed (retaining the human touch)
Provide a written record to attach to the patient’s file.
Clients love the convenience too! Here’s some feedback from one of our US practice owners:
People are often so busy that they can’t answer their phones when we call anyway, and appreciate the ability to send us a message in their own time.
How it works
The post-op survey workflow is very easy to set up and run. You simply choose what type of visits you’d like to follow up on and the questions you want to ask.
Then it’s a simple 3-step process:
1: A survey link is automatically sent to the client.
Following their pet’s procedure, your Virtual Vet Nurse automatically messages your client, inviting them to complete the post-up survey.
You can automate sending this link in any way you prefer (e.g., email, SMS/text, Messenger, Instagram, What’s App, etc.).
2: Your client chats with your Virtual Vet Nurse.
Your survey questions will generally cover things like:
checking on the patient’s routine signs (e.g “Are they eating/drinking/toileting as normal”)
checking on medication compliance (“Are you able to give these okay?”)
if the patient has a surgical wound, the client has the option to upload a photo or video of it
asking whether the client needs to book a follow-up visit
asking whether the client would like a phone call or follow-up from the clinic
Here are a few example screenshots from a conversation:
3. Your team reviews the answers.
The answers are emailed to your front desk in a simple summary format and ready for review.
It takes two minutes to glance through the responses and view the photo.
(Note: only the first few post-op update questions and responses are shown here).
What happens next?
If the client reports everything is okay with their pet, it’s a case of ‘job done’. If you want to keep a copy of the answers, the notes are easily copied to the patient’s clinical records. It’s even easier if you have the PMS-integrated version of Virtual Vet Nurse, as the notes are automatically written back.
Alternatively, if the client has specifically asked you to get in touch or you see anything in their answers that requires attention, you’ll respond accordingly.
It’s a win-win for everybody!
Your Virtual Vet Nurse surveys are fully customized to your clinic
Remember, your Virtual Vet Nurse is your digital employee and is unique to your clinic. This means:
1. You can choose any type of visit to follow up
Other than post-surgery surveys, what other types of visits would you like to follow up on?
For example, one of our clinics in the US uses their Virtual Vet Nurse to follow up after vaccination visits to check for any reactions.
Other clinics send new clients a courtesy follow-up survey to make them feel extra welcome. (This is the kind of next-level customer service that automation makes possible!)
2. Include digital forms or other offerings.
Maybe you want to include home-care instructions, offer to refill meds or rebook a visit. With conversational AI, it’s easy to weave anything like that into the conversation.
Compare the benefits
What is your current regime for post-op checks? Let’s compare the benefits of Virtual Vet Nurse:
How much staff time is it taking?
If your staff is making manual callbacks, consider the potential time savings from automating this workflow. (Your staff only needs to call the clients who request or need a call based on their survey response.)
Are you asking every important question – every time?
For improved safety and compliance, your Virtual Vet Nurse will stay ‘on script’ every time and never skip a question.
This is particularly important for post-op checks to ensure ALL important questions are covered. You will also have a record of the client’s answers in the event of a dispute.
Is it convenient for your clients?
Receiving a phone call isn’t always convenient for clients.
With Virtual Vet Nurse, your clients can complete the survey whenever is convenient for them (anytime, anywhere) and at their own pace. Their answers can be as succinct or detailed as they choose.
Is it a ‘conversation’?
Unlike an electronic form, your Virtual Vet Nurse gathers information in a conversational way. It feels more like having a conversation with someone at your front desk.
Our user ratings are consistently high – people enjoy talking with Virtual Vet Nurse!
Does it write back to your clinical records?
The survey results are automatically emailed to the front desk (or the email address you specify). If you want to keep a copy, the notes can be quickly and easily copied to the patient’s clinical records. Even easier, if your your Practice Management System (PMS) integrates with Virtual Vet Nurse, this happens automatically.
Virtual Vet Nurse has a special offer for Vetanswers readers: 50% off the standard monthly subscription cost for your first three months. Use the promo code: VETANSWERS when you book a demo.
James, Co-Founder of ClinicWise (Formally Virtual Vet Nurse), brings extensive experience in veterinary software and a passion for using technology to improve clinic operations and client communication. He is dedicated to creating innovative solutions that enhance care and streamline workflows for veterinary professionals.
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