Software for Veterinarians: How Practices Compare Systems and Tools

A veterinary practice that chooses software often makes two decisions at the same time without realizing it. One concerns the practice’s core system, which manages patients, pet owners, appointments, and invoices. The other concerns tools that are built on top of the core system, such as AI-powered support for medical record-keeping. This guide explains what each category should be able to do, what questions each vendor needs to answer, and how to set up a comparative test.

Internship system or add-on tool

A practice management system is the backbone of a veterinary practice. It contains the medical records, information about animals and their owners, the appointment schedule, the cash register, and often the inventory of medications and supplies. Most practices rarely switch to a new system, since a change affects every aspect of their workflow and requires transferring all historical data.

An add-on tool performs a specific task and integrates with the practice management system. AI-assisted medical record-keeping falls into this category. The tool generates a draft medical record based on the conversation with the pet owner, and the final record is then saved in the practice management system. Keeping these categories separate makes comparison easier, since an add-on tool is evaluated based on how well it works with the system the practice already has. More information about the core system can be found in the guide to medical record systems for veterinarians.

Features to Test in a Demo

A list of functions on paper says little about how the system works on a typical day. Instead, ask to test each item using the clinic’s own patient cases:

The patient and pet owner registry, with search capabilities covering a long history and multiple pets per owner.
The schedule book, with booking, rescheduling, and reminders for pet owners.
Billing, from the procedures in the medical record to the final invoice and payment.
Inventory of medications and supplies, with withdrawals linked to the patient.
The reports that the internship supervisors need to monitor the program.

Ideally, have the person who handles this task on a daily basis take the test. A receptionist notices different issues in the appointment book than a veterinarian, and a practice manager reads the reports with different questions in mind.

Billing and Bookkeeping According to German Regulations

In Germany, the GOT fee schedule governs how veterinarians bill for their services. According to GOT § 2, the fee is set at between one and three times the standard rate, and according to § 7, payment is due only after the pet owner has received an invoice. According to the same section, the invoice must include, at a minimum, the date of treatment, the type of animal, the diagnosis or reason for the visit, the billed procedure with its serial number in the fee schedule, the invoice amount, and the sales tax.

Ask each vendor how the system supports GOT in practice—for example, how fee levels are selected for each procedure and how changes to the fee schedule are entered into the system. Also ask how the record-keeping meets the requirements for veterinary practices, and ask the vendor to demonstrate how changes to a signed medical record entry are logged.

Vetz can suggest what to bill based on the contents of the medical record, which reduces the risk of procedures being omitted from the invoice. How this works is described in the guide on billing at the veterinary clinic.

Integrations with Other Systems

An internship system needs to communicate with the surrounding equipment and services. Ask which connections are already in place and which ones need to be established:

Laboratory equipment, so that test results are entered directly into the correct medical record.
X-rays and other imaging tests.
Payment terminals and card payments.
Reminders and notices for pet owners.
AI support for medical record-keeping.

For the AI support, the most important issue is how the completed medical record is returned to the practice system. Vetz integrates with Provet Cloud, Vettigo, and MHK FileMaker. The practice’s appointments are then automatically displayed in Vetz, and the completed medical record is sent back without any manual steps. Vetz supports most major medical record systems, and if a system is not supported, it is usually possible to build an integration. The technology behind this is described in the article on how Vetz integrates with medical record systems.

Data Protection Under the GDPR

The internship system and its associated tools process personal data about pet owners. Please request written responses to the following questions before using the system with actual data:

Where is the data stored and processed?
Which subcontractors are involved, and how is the practice notified of changes?
How long are medical records and other information retained?
How is data deleted, and can the practice delete it on its own?
Which access logs can the practice review on its own?

The same questions apply to every add-on tool. Vetz’s integration with the medical records system is encrypted and compliant with the GDPR. For more questions, see the article on AI and the GDPR for veterinarians.

Installation and Equipment

Ask whether the system runs in a web browser or is installed on the practice’s computers, whether there are apps for mobile phones and tablets, and what happens if the internet connection is lost in the middle of a patient visit. The answers will determine the extent to which the practice needs to manage its own IT operations.

Vetz runs in your browser without requiring installation and is available as an app for iPhone and Android. All you need is a device with a microphone.

Here's how the comparison is set up

A comparison is most fair when all suppliers are evaluated based on the same criteria:

Make a shortlist based on the features the internship can't do without.
Schedule demonstrations in which the vendor demonstrates the practice's most common types of visits.
Test the system in your day-to-day work during a trial period, not just in a demo.
Ask how the history will be transferred from the current system and who will do the work.
Review the agreement, including the notice period and what is included in the price.

It is difficult to compare costs without asking everyone the same questions. Ask whether the price is per user, per veterinarian, or per practice; what incurs additional charges; and whether the price is listed with or without sales tax.

The suppliers listed should be compared with their own current websites, as features and terms and conditions are subject to change.

Where Vetz Fits In

Vetz is not a practice management system. Vetz works alongside the system the practice already uses and handles record-keeping. During the consultation with the pet owner, Vetz listens and creates a structured draft record based on the practice’s own templates. The veterinarian reviews and approves the draft, which is then transferred to the medical record system with the click of a button.

In addition to the medical record, Vetz suggests diagnosis codes and billing codes, generates discharge instructions for the pet owner, and offers a search function for evidence-based sources. How Vetz compares to other AI tools is described in the guide to choosing an AI scribe, and all features are listed on the Vetz features page. Vetz offers a free 14-day trial with no credit card required.

Learn more about Vetz

Would you like to see how Vetz works with your practice’s current system? Book a demo, and we’ll show you how to record patient visits using your own visit types.