As a general practice veterinarian, you’re the go-to for all of your patients’ needs. From puppy visits, to illness, to managing chronic conditions and end-of-life conversations, you develop long-term relationships and care about your patients and their families. When patients require care beyond your scope of practice, referral often is needed, but pet owners may be reluctant to accept it because of the difficulty in scheduling, long wait times, financial limitations, and veterinarian preference. The process can be difficult for you, too, requiring time-consuming phone calls to get your patient an appointment and managing the case until the specialist can see them. VESPECON can help you make the best medical decisions for your patients by allowing you to manage complex cases in-house and streamlining the referral process when needed. Here are the top five reasons general practitioners partner with VESPECON.

#1: Specialty care at your fingertips

VESPECON’s process puts access to specialty care at your fingertips with its video conferencing system. When you need to refer a case, contact your dedicated VESPECON champion, who will match you with an advising board-certified specialist to consult on the case. You’ll video chat about your patient, and the advising specialist can help you determine a differential list, recommend diagnostics, and develop a treatment game plan. Using this strategy, you can manage the case yourself, but if your patient requires imaging or treatments you’re unable to provide, VESPECON can coordinate a visit to a local in-person specialist.

#2: Easier management of complex cases

With VESPECON’s video consulting technology, you’ll have access to a specialist to help you co-manage your cases. Each time you consult on a new case, you’ll be learning from experts, and you can use that knowledge to build your skill set and better manage future complex cases. Your patients will benefit from advanced care, delivered by their trusted family veterinarian, and VESPECON’s specialists will continue to consult with you throughout the patient’s follow-up.

#3: Advanced care for patients in need

Many general practices are in rural or remote locations, without easy access to specialists. These practitioners are truly jacks-of-all-trades, expected to manage complex cases without access to advanced medical facilities. With VESPECON’s video consulting services, rural veterinarians can partner with specialists to provide the best possible care in a primary setting. Other clients who do have local access to specialty facilities may not be financially prepared for referral or may choose to decline such care for other reasons. For these clients, video consultation services can provide another option for advanced care for their pets.

#4: Increased hospital revenue

While patient care is most veterinarians’ top priority, financial success is necessary, too. Hospital finances determine the services you’re able to offer, keep the hospital well-staffed, and ensure staff is adequately compensated. VESPECON can help you bring in higher revenue when you’re able to manage more cases in-house, recommend advanced diagnostics and procedures, and gain client trust. When you choose to co-manage cases with a VESPECON consultant, your clients can be assured their pet is getting the best care possible, which forges strong relationships and keeps them coming back.

#5: Simplified referral process

Not all cases can be co-managed virtually, and some patients still will require referral to a specialty facility. In these cases, you’ll first consult virtually with a VESPECON advisory specialist, who will run through the case with you and ensure you’ve done all necessary workup or treatment trials before referral. When the need for further diagnostics or advanced procedures becomes apparent, VESPECON will locate a specialist in our network, and set up the appointment for you. We know you’re busy, and our process eliminates the need for endless phone calls, seamlessly provides the local specialist with needed case information, and eliminates client hassles. VESPECON network hospitals reserve time slots specifically for our referrals, ensuring your patient is seen in a timely manner, and we’ll continue to partner with you on the case following referral.

With VESPECON, general practice veterinarians can keep more cases in-house, learn from board-certified specialists, and eliminate referral hassles for themselves and their clients. If you’re ready to learn more about what VESPECON can do for your practice, contact us to get started.