Equine veterinary medicine is often inefficient, which contributes to lower revenue production compared to companion animal practice. Because revenue and compensation are strongly associated, increasing efficiency can help increase wages for equine practitioners, an important element in retention and recruitment.
Inefficiencies in Ambulatory Equine Practice
Inefficiency in ambulatory practice stems primarily from the time spent traveling between clients’ facilities, especially when the vet is only seeing one or two animals at each site. In addition, work beyond what was originally scheduled during appointments can disrupt the rest of the day’s schedule. When emergencies pop up during the day, they can completely upend a well-planned route to minimize travel miles.
Schedule Based on Location
When possible, veterinarians should schedule ambulatory calls with maximum geographic proximity and form a circular route. Establishing area days (e.g. north, south, east, west) in the different segments of the practice territory can help, especially as clients become accustomed to the plan. In practices with multiple doctors, rotating daytime emergency duty and reducing that veterinarian’s elective schedule can improve the practice’s efficiency. Alternatively, using an emergency practice or a relief veterinarian during busy months to cover daytime emergencies can increase overall revenue if scheduled calls are typically for high-dollar amounts.
Communicate Effectively With Clients
In both ambulatory and clinic settings, clients can be chatty and obtaining a concise, accurate history can be difficult. A question such as “When did you last see Blaze acting normal?” might elicit a long story about all the abnormal behavior the client has noticed since buying the horse. Without well-honed communication skills to kindly redirect the client, this appointment could rapidly spiral into an inefficient black hole. Utilizing a standard process for taking histories and having a technician obtain pertinent information can free the doctor up for other tasks and keep the day moving smoothly. Having an assistant or technician on ambulatory calls can maximize efficiency.
Incentivize Haul-in Appointments
Incentivizing clients to bring their horses to your facility can sharply increase the number of patients you can see in a day, but only if you schedule smartly. Although you might be tempted to not charge an outpatient visit fee for haul-ins, remember you will be paying a staff member to clean up after every appointment, a job that often falls to the barn staff or owner on an ambulatory visit. A simple haul-in facility might consist of two stalls, a treatment area with stocks, a storage area, and an office, along with a spot outside for watching lame horses. If you can see a horse every 30 minutes with no driving time, imagine the difference in the revenue you can produce. With sports medicine, you can often work on several cases simultaneously, especially if you have plenty of technical help. For example, while you block one horse, your team can take radiographs of another.
Utilize Techs
Additional ways to increase your efficiency include using licensed technicians to the top of their skill level (while following pertinent state regulations) and initiating technician appointments for tasks that don’t require your direct supervision. According to the AVMA’s 2023 Report on the Economic State of the Veterinary Profession, the most efficient companion animal practices have a ratio of 2.7 full-time-equivalent (FTE) veterinary technicians and assistants to every FTE veterinarian. In contrast, the ratio of licensed technicians to veterinarians in equine practices is 0.26:1, in part because of a shortage of available workers in the field.
Final Thoughts
Because profitability mirrors efficiency, making strong efforts to streamline windshield time, communicate consistently and concisely, maximize the use of your facility, and leverage your technical staff’s strengths can make a real difference in your bottom line.
Related Reading
- The Business of Practice: Building an Equine Veterinary Clinic Facility
- AAEP Commission on Veterinary Sustainability: New Frontiers in Emergency Service
- How Clients are Experiencing Equine Veterinary Sustainability Issues
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