{"id":11210,"date":"2021-12-01T00:00:58","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T00:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=11210"},"modified":"2022-06-15T17:48:15","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T17:48:15","slug":"pandemic-predictions-veterinary-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/pandemic-predictions-veterinary-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Trusty Retrospect-o-scope"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nearly two years into it, the COVID-19 crisis has been a rollercoaster ride for veterinary medicine. As everyone pondered what the profession needed to do to survive and hopefully thrive during this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience, the one recommendation heard most often was the mandate for change. Three of our past articles \u2014 \u201c12 Ways to Sustain Your Practice,\u201d<\/a> \u201cWhat Now?\u201d<\/a> and \u201cSix Growing Issues\u201d<\/a> \u2014 addressed the industry\u2019s pandemic challenges and what we believed were some of the answers. Let\u2019s look at how our thoughts played out.<\/p>\n

Leadership<\/h3>\n

We wrote that more and better leadership was essential for surviving and thriving during the pandemic. Early on, survival required veterinary medicine at all levels to activate its leadership superpowers and provide direction. From the beginning, the American Veterinary Medical Association led the way with best practices for preserving the health and safety of the practice team. Concurrently, the AVMA\u2019s Veterinary Economics Division kept its finger on the pulse of the profession\u2019s financial aspects. In addition, AVMA emails and online articles served as guideposts for clinic leaders.<\/p>\n

Looking at clinics that emerged from the 2007-2009 recession relatively unscathed, we noted that their leaders focused on people\u2019s needs, which is what great leaders do best. More than a decade ago, they found ways to keep their teams employed and give team members the peace of mind of continuing to earn an income. Fast-forward to the present and practice leaders did the same thing while protecting everyone\u2019s health. Phase two required more changes because of the insanity of being busier than ever. When the floodgates open, how do leaders support teams that are exhausted, short-staffed and bombarded by dissatisfied clients? The same leaders who guided employees through recessionary uncertainty now had to keep their teams together during the chaos. Metaphorically, like cars, the engines at many veterinary practices were running in the red zone, putting team members at a greater risk of burnout.<\/p>\n

Practice owners, managers and leaders have learned to commiserate with all generations of employees. They listened and tried to understand the needs of others. Their willingness to heed suggestions on solving issues strengthened the camaraderie that frequently fractures during difficult periods.<\/p>\n

The bottom line is this: Practice leaders focused on the needs of their teams during the pandemic, ultimately putting people before profits. And as a result, their profits were sustained and even grew in the face of great tumult.<\/p>\n

Communication<\/h3>\n

What was the secret sauce that practice leaders used to make a difference since early 2020? Communication. Clear, concise and compassionate communication.<\/a> With their teams and clients.<\/p>\n

During periods of uncertainty, we said, leaders must create a feeling of certainty. Using live and virtual modalities, leaders truly overcommunicated that they were \u201cthere\u201d for their teams. And they advised clients that clinics were open for business, albeit in a different way.<\/p>\n

Early in the pandemic, one survey indicated that only 25% of pet owners knew that their veterinarian was providing curbside service. Why the disconnect? It was because of a failure to share the protocols properly on websites, in emails and even over the phone. As a result, some clients were surprised to arrive for an appointment and find locked doors and a sign reading, \u201cPlease call us from your car.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the end, communicating the changes going on in a practice, a clinic\u2019s busyness and better ways to connect clinics with clients was a point of great success for leaders who understood the need for certainty. Pet owners rewarded them with business and, for the most part, empathy. Client communication is a long-term tool for practice success.<\/p>\n

Effective staff communication is a long-term tool for practice success, too. Whether you call it a huddle, timeout or staff meeting, or you use Slack or another digital messaging app, a daily pep talk and update helps build confidence within a team. And during the eye of the storm like COVID-19, taking a moment to say thanks, enforce breaks and recognize the challenges helps temper some of the angst. Veterinary teams needed to be heard, understood and supported. That is what great leaders do well.<\/p>\n

Practices that led the way and connected with their clients and staffs became models for dealing with any crisis \u2014 pandemic, fire, flood, earthquake, tornado, hurricane.<\/p>\n

Operational Changes<\/h3>\n

Maintaining the pre-pandemic status quo was next to impossible for clinics. According to the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association\u2019s \u201cInsiders\u2019 Insights\u201d report from July 2021, only 4% of practices made no operational changes during the pandemic. Overall, clinics did well during trying times to find creative ways to serve clients while keeping everyone (pet owners and staffs) safe.<\/p>\n

From tableside to curbside was the first major tectonic shift. In a profession where the delivery model was already inefficient, the shift only added to the inefficiency as direct communication became more difficult. The pivot and the lessons learned slowly pushed the industry in a positive direction. As we suggested, veterinary practices must move to a greater team-based health care delivery model whereby all staff members are more involved with the client experience and the doctors focus on the clinical aspects of patient care. The client service team and the technical team spent more time speaking with pet owners. Besides taking a patient\u2019s history, the team was often the communicator of the findings and treatment plan.<\/p>\n

The pandemic challenged the client experience like never before. Many pet owners have an intense attachment to their pets, so they are conflicted when they have to drop off a pet or watch it being \u201ctaken to the back.\u201d With no window into what was going on and less direct contact with a veterinarian, clients were pushed to the psychological edge. What could practices do to enhance the client experience and mollify pet owners? The greater use of audio and visual technology and better communication proved a difference-maker. Practices that live-streamed visits provided a satisfying view into the pet\u2019s experience.<\/p>\n

Because of the safety protocols erected between pet owners and practices, another significant unmet need was client education. Practices responded with YouTube videos, digital handouts, enhanced websites and text messages for the sharing of medical information. Clients could de-stress by accessing the information from their car or home.<\/p>\n

One prediction of ours that proved correct was that many practices would add options for picking up and delivering pet food and medications. Some clinics opened drive-through or walk-up windows, and others handed food and meds to clients in their cars. Home-delivery models<\/a> included the greater use of a practice\u2019s online pharmacy and assigning team members to drive to clients\u2019 homes.<\/p>\n

Another operational change we predicted was the greater use of technology. Once practices moved to curbside service, a reliance on technology was a given. Technology can mean many things, ranging from more phone calls to text messages, online forms, remote checkouts and telemedicine. Virtually every practice introduced some or all of those options.<\/p>\n

Caseloads<\/h3>\n

Probably the pandemic\u2019s most unexpected consequence was the increased caseload in many hospitals. In the spring of 2020, the chief concern was that practice revenue would drop significantly and that many clinics would lay off staff. We recommended a \u201cfocus on survival.\u201d Turns out that while some hospitals were severely challenged during the early months of the pandemic, most saw revenue stay steady or grow dramatically.<\/p>\n

Operational changes meant to keep clients and employees safe can be at odds with the increased demand for veterinary care, and this continues to be a challenge. The request for more services pressured practices to demand more from their doctors and non-doctors, which, in turn, caused increased levels of mental and physical fatigue.<\/p>\n

The Recession<\/h3>\n

Sixteen months ago, we warned about a brewing recession and how veterinary medicine needed to prepare. For most practices, we admit, the recession was a non-issue. The National Bureau of Economic Research announced in early June 2020 that the U.S. economy had peaked in February and was officially in a recession. Although some industries \u2014 airlines and hotels, for starters \u2014 suffered greatly during the pandemic, veterinary medicine wasn\u2019t one of them. The government\u2019s designation of veterinary medicine as an essential industry allowed clinics to stay open. While many hospitals saw declines in revenue and caseloads during the early months of the pandemic, they largely made up for it.<\/p>\n

A lot of pandemic trends worked in the industry\u2019s favor. Among them:<\/p>\n