Most veterinarians are experiencing increased caseloads, and specialists are no exception. With more cases, working and scheduling efficiently are more important than ever. One important way to streamline your scheduling is ensuring that your clinic’s cases have been thoroughly screened, worked up with appropriate tests, and are ready for the next steps, but many referring veterinarians are not aware of exactly what that entails. 

Referring veterinarians who use VESPECON can consult with one of our board-certified advisory specialists remotely, allowing them to work through the case with a specialist who guides them through diagnostics and treatment. Pets who need additional in-person specialty care are referred straight to you, where we drop them into predetermined spots on your schedule. Here are some of the benefits you can expect from refining your caseload.

#1: Educated and well-informed clients who know what to expect

Clients who come to you through VESPECON have already received extensive education about their pet’s condition, and have thoroughly discussed potential treatments with their primary veterinarian. The referring veterinarian first consults with a specialist virtually, so the client knows exactly why they are being referred, and understands what to expect from their first visit. 

The educated and informed client has likely already thought about their pet’s potential options, and is waiting for the specialist’s confirmation and to discuss costs before making a final decision. This discussion is often easier when the client already knows what they want for their pet, and knows they can accommodate their budget and make payment. These discussions are some of the most stressful aspects of specialty practice, and making them easier will likely improve everyone’s day-to-day job satisfaction.

#2: Reduced need to repeat diagnostics

One major battle during initial specialty appointments is discussing repeat diagnostics with clients. Sometimes, the primary veterinarian performs the needed tests, but misses an X-ray view, a blood component, or another similar error that requires repeating the entire test sequence. Other times, the tests were performed correctly but the results are old and no longer valuable, or bear repeating to look for new changes. 

Convincing clients they need to repeat tests they have already paid for can be challenging, because some will inevitably consider price-hiking, despite an appropriate, reasonable explanation. VESPECON coordinates the in-person visit in the proper time frame so the diagnostics are still useful. We also ensure that the correct tests are performed, which decreases the need for repeating. This is cost-saving for clients and reduces the need for repeat visits that clog up your schedule.

#3: Easier schedule planning

When you see VESPECON clients on your schedule, you can plan for exactly what these patients need, leading to fewer last-minute surprises for your staff and an overall improvement in efficiency. Our concierge team transfers records and facilitates communication between the rDVM and your team, ensuring you know exactly the services your pet has received, and the next logical step. 

For example, an internist seeing a chronic diarrhea patient who has already been imaged and appropriate blood screens have ruled out other diseases, can alert their staff to prepare for a likely endoscopy. The same case from a different rDVM could be missing diagnostics, and endoscopy will likely need to be scheduled on a different day, after you have more information to discuss with the client. Your technical staff’s job is to organize your day, predict your needs, and moderate appointment flow—and we can make that easier.

Other benefits of partnering with VESPECON 

In addition to refining your caseload, VESPECON can benefit your specialty practice in these ways:

  • Facilitating smooth communication between you and your referral partners
  • Effortlessly expanding your referral network
  • Improving the client referral experience and overall client satisfaction
  • Building strong relationships with other local specialists
  • Driving business forward
  • Reaching more clients, including those outside your immediate service area

Our telemedicine service aims to increase access to specialty care for clients, elevate the care level from primary veterinarians, increase client satisfaction with the entire care team, and improve specialist referral networks and hospital efficiency. When veterinarians choose to VESPECON a case, everyone wins. 

Visit our website to sign up as a VESPECON network provider, or contact us to learn more about our services. Start enjoying the benefits of screened, refined, and worked-up cases.