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For busy veterinarians, high-quality practice management software is a must-have. With an excellent software system in place, it’s easier to manage patient flow, collect and analyze data, and communicate with clients.
Are you searching for great queue management software for your busy veterinary clinic? Here’s a quick review of the essential benefits and features to prioritize.
New or upgraded software is one of the most meaningful investments a veterinary practice owner can make. In modern medical settings, software is an integral part of nearly every process and system, from patient care to billing. Having the best product available is well worth it.
The benefits of great veterinary management software include:
Queue management software includes a suite of tools for improving patient flow and client communications. These digital patient engagement tools begin with online check-in, also known as mobile check-in or express check-in.
With mobile check-in, clients use a digital platform to check in for an appointment remotely. The check-in process is fast, convenient, paperless, and doesn’t require a phone call. The ease of use is attractive to prospective clients while saving time for staff.
After checking in online, clients can then complete the intake process on a mobile device. The process is paperless and hygienic. It’s also wonderfully convenient for clients—check-in, intake, and waiting all take place on the same user-friendly digital platform.
With a client engagement tool like Intake Express, clients can fill out their registration forms in just one or two minutes. Digital intake includes:
After the client completes the digital intake process, their info is immediately transferred to the veterinary practice. Then, reception staff can quickly access PDFs of the completed registration forms to download and add to the practice’s database.
Client engagement software makes it possible for clients to complete their check-in and intake processes remotely. That means the waiting room can be remote, too.
After clients check in to their appointments, they’re added to a virtual waiting room. On their mobile devices, they can monitor their positions in the patient queue along with the projected start time of their appointments.
With virtual waiting, clients and pets can minimize the amount of time they spend in the physical waiting room. They can wait at home, down the street, or in the parking lot until a few minutes before their appointment starts. All the while, the system keeps them informed about the movement of the queue. The projected start time of each appointment is automatically updated each time a prior appointment is concluded.
Queue management software can make veterinary referrals faster and easier. With an online system like ER Passport, referring facilities can use a convenient online form to complete the entire referral process—without the need for phone calls.
Here’s how it works:
For veterinary ERs, online referrals are a game-changer. This system streamlines the movement of data, reduces call volume, and helps your team prepare for incoming patients.
At ER Express, we help veterinarians unlock the power of great software. Our patient engagement solutions improve communications, simplify tasks, and lead to better patient care outcomes.
This year, we’re excited to return to the International Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society conference (IVECCS 2024) from September 7–11 in St. Louis, Missouri. It’s the #1 conference for critical care vets, emergency vets, technicians, students, and other industry professionals.
Stop by our booth at IVECCS 2024 or contact us online at any time to learn more about veterinary software solutions.
A well-managed patient queue is essential for keeping a veterinary practice running smoothly. It’s the difference maker between happy pets and anxious ones. Between clients who keep coming back and ones who look elsewhere. It’s the difference between a pleasant, profitable workplace and one that’s tense and strained.
Many factors contribute to effective queue management. These include a hard-working staff, a well-designed building, and a smart game plan for managing patient flow.
You also need the right tools. In particular, great queue management software is a must-have for any busy vet practice.
If you’re looking to add or upgrade queue management software for your practice, we’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know about the benefits of this tool and which features to look for.
Queue management software is a digital solution for managing patient flow. Basic versions of this type of software provide limited functionality for tracking when appointments start and end.
Modern, high-quality queue management software is much more advanced, providing a dynamic interface between the practice and its clients.
The key benefits of queue management software include:
Mobile check-in, also known as express check-in, is the use of a digital platform that streamlines the process of checking in for an appointment. Mobile check-in empowers clients to begin their appointment process remotely. They get a head-start on entering the patient queue and their appointment proceeds more smoothly once they arrive at the clinic.
Mobile check-in is:
Mobile check-in makes life easier for clients, pets, and veterinary staff. The mobile check-in process also pairs perfectly with the use of a virtual waiting room. This integration leads to reduced wait times and streamlined queue management.
Traditionally, the veterinary waiting room hasn’t always been a fun place for pets and clients to spend time. Many pets get anxious, noisy, and accident-prone when they’re stuck in a small space around strangers.
Now, thanks to queue management software, the waiting room experience doesn’t have to be stressful anymore.
After clients complete their mobile check-in, they enter a virtual waiting room. Using their mobile device, clients can see their position in the appointment queue as well as the estimated start time for their appointments. They don’t even need to stay in the physical waiting room—they can spend the majority of the wait time in the parking lot, down the street, or even at home.
In the virtual waiting room, automation keeps the queue running smoothly. Appointment start times are automatically updated as appointments end. Meanwhile, notifications and two-way messaging keep clients informed and in control of their waiting experience.
Queue management software can include a built-in communication platform between a veterinary practice and its clients. Ideally, this system includes two-way texting.
With two-way texting, the practice can send appointment updates and other info to clients. These messages may be automated or written by the staff. The client can then reply, prompting automated responses or direct responses from staff.
Two-way texting is a great way to reduce call volume, send and receive appointment data, and improve the reception staff’s ability to effectively manage the patient queue.
High-quality queue management software integrates several key systems in a veterinary practice. These include scheduling, intake, queue management, and billing. Thanks to this integration, it’s easy to collect and organize a wide variety of data in real time.
With advanced analytics and customized reports, queue management software provides insights into a practice’s operations. You can explore data like average wait time or appointment cancellation rates. This information provides the foundation for setting KPIs and goals, helping your business maintain a state of continuous improvement.
At ER Express, we supply busy veterinary practices with queue management software that streamlines workflows and improves the client experience.
To see what a software upgrade could mean for your practice, contact ER Express today to request a product demonstration.
As a devoted pet owner, you do your best to keep your pet in excellent health. Nevertheless, emergencies happen. In the long life of a dog, cat, or other pet, there’s a good chance that eventually they’ll suffer a sudden health problem.
Fortunately, veterinary emergency rooms are ready to help out with any issue that requires immediate attention—whether it’s a broken bone, a very sick tummy, or a life-threatening injury or illness.
If something ever happens to your pet that requires emergency care, you’ll want to be prepared. That means knowing where your nearest veterinary ER is located. You should also have a game plan for quickly and safely getting there.
It’s also important to know the steps involved in a visit to a veterinary ER. Here’s a quick look at what to expect, from checking in to the hospital to going through triage and waiting, to getting emergency care from the veterinary staff.
The first step in an ER vet visit is the check-in process. Checking in is how your basic info enters the hospital’s system and you secure your place in line to be seen by the care providers.
You can check in to a veterinary ER by simply showing up. The reception staff will take your information, add your pet to the patient queue, and provide an estimate regarding the wait time.
The downside of an in-person check-in is that you don’t enter the patient queue in advance. That means you might not be seen as quickly as you could have if you checked in on the phone or online. Plus, you won’t have any idea how long the waiting time is until you walk through the door.
To enter the patient queue in advance, you can call the ER. Or, if the clinic offers online check-in, you can easily provide your information by filling out a simple form on your mobile device. Then, you’ll enter a virtual waiting room that keeps you informed of your estimated appointment start time.
When you arrive at a veterinary ER, or check in online or by phone, triage begins. Triage is the process in which medical workers quickly evaluate the urgency of patients and sort the appointment queue accordingly. Pets that are bleeding, unconscious, or having difficulty breathing are treated as quickly as possible. Less urgent cases may have longer wait times.
Veterinary ER waiting times vary from place to place and day to day. Sometimes, you might receive immediate treatment. Other times, the wait may last for several hours.
If the hospital you’re visiting uses a virtual waiting room, you’ll be able to enter the patient queue remotely. That way, you can wait at home or in the parking lot until it’s time to be seen. During the wait, you can use the mobile platform to monitor your place in the queue. The system provides an estimated start time that automatically updates each time an appointment ends.
When your pet reaches the treatment room, they’ll be in the capable hands of the veterinarian and veterinary technicians. Depending on the pet’s condition and the hospital’s policies, pet owners may or may not be permitted to stay with the pet during treatment.
During treatment, the ER staff will determine a course of action and perform any necessary procedures to stabilize the animal. This may include surgery. Afterward, the staff returns the pet to the owner and discusses after-care recommendations.
After your pet is treated and returned to you, the veterinary staff will provide information about after-care. Typical after-care recommendations include:
If the veterinary practice offers a mobile platform, you can use that for all of your post-visit activities. These might include online payment, receiving educational info, and completing a customer satisfaction survey.
If you’re a veterinarian looking to improve the client experience at your ER or clinic, ER Express can help. We provide vets with client engagement software that reduces staff workload, improves client satisfaction, and ultimately leads to better patient care.
Contact ER Express today to arrange a product demonstration.
We are excited to announce that ER Express is now fully integrated with ezyVet! This powerful collaboration streamlines your practice management by seamlessly connecting ER Express’s online check-in and digital intake tools with ezyVet’s comprehensive veterinary software. Request a demo today to see how this integration can elevate your clinic’s efficiency and enhance the overall experience for your staff and clients.
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