Can a Vet Telehealth Certification Help Your Career?

In large part due to the pandemic, there’s been a spike in the usage of telehealth services to conduct virtual appointments in the healthcare industry. This is also true of the veterinary industry, as clients rely on these tools to have digital visits for their animals that don’t require an in-person examination. As Keyana Beamon, 2020 Penn Foster Graduate of the Year and a vet tech at Banfield, notes, “Telehealth is a way to keep us connected with our clients/patients without bringing in the overwhelming feeling for veterinary professionals.” She explains these types appointments are often great for virtual vet visits:

• Consultations
• Follow up appointments for medications or test results

Given the increase in telehealth appointments, vet hospitals are depending on their veterinary technicians to make this technology a regular part of their daily routine. Here’s why learning how to use telehealth technology can help you take the next steps in your veterinary career.

1. Veterinary telehealth can expand your career growth opportunities

Pet telemedicine services can not only improve the day-to-day functionality of a vet hospital, they can also help you grow in your career as a vet professional. With the industry constantly changing, the ability to grow with it and expand your knowledge set can help set you up for long-term success.

Training in this area is also an ideal opportunity to boost your resume and your credentials. This can not only help position you for growth in your current role, but for possible promotions or pay increases as well. Additionally, this knowledge set can help establish trust with both the other members of your team as well as your clients by showing that you can operate this technology for the benefit of your vet practice.

2. Veterinary telehealth can help reduce burnout on the job

While there are certainly cases where an in-person visit is the best option to provide more in-depth care and examinations for pets, virtual appointments can provide flexibility for both clients as well as the veterinary team. These services can help to alleviate burnout on the job due to the increase in appointments by allowing vet techs to manage their time more effectively. This is especially true if a routine visit can be shortened, so that they can focus on the most pressing issues in the hospital. Telemedicine, sometimes called teletriage, can improve efficiency by allowing staff to share medical information with clients without putting them through the chore of going to an appointment, so that they know how to take care of their pets from home.

Telehealth services save clients time if they have a couple of questions or are scheduling a routine visit but don’t have the time to come into the hospital or clinic. During the pandemic, this has provided ease to those who may be more cautious to enter the vet clinic unless it is absolutely necessary.

3. Veterinary telehealth can improve your customer service

Since many practices became overwhelmed with appointments early in the pandemic, this presented an opportunity for teams to use telehealth services more frequently and make them a key part of their business. This means that your clients will have more options with their pets’ care, improving your customer service.

When the pet owners you’re interacting with on a regular basis feel that their needs are being met, they’re more likely to be loyal to your business and keep coming back, allowing you to foster longer-term relationships. Telehealth makes the process of providing updates, receiving prescriptions, and scheduling appointments much easier. Given the benefits for the future of veterinary clinics, it’s clear that this technology isn’t going away anytime soon, which is why an understanding of how to administer these services now is so crucial.

Boost your veterinary background with telehealth training

In order to meet industry needs and help veterinary professionals gain new skills that help them stand out in their veterinary practice, Penn Foster has launched an exciting new Veterinary Team Telehealth Career Certificate Program. This program can not only add a helpful boost to your resume, but it can also help you gain necessary skills related to telehealth, covering state laws and regulations, your role in teletriage, and how to assess and address emergencies properly.

To learn more about this program and how it can help you achieve your goals, contact an Admissions Specialist today at 1-888-427-6500!