Numerous practice management software for veterinary practitioners have been available in the market for the past decade. However, owning one or the replacement of an old practice management tool is a very important decision to make as this can shape what the future of a veterinarians firm. Is the software you are about to adopt or implement capable of handling all types of transactions you are about to do like lab results and client communications besides being simple enough and easily understood by you and your staff? (Treymane, 2012)
In looking for practice management software of veterinary software systems, it is important to look for software whose features closely matches your needs. Some of these most common features are billing, scheduling, communication, medical record keeping, mobility and accessibility, reporting and security. Three of the top veterinary software system in the market today are the AVImark Veterinary Software, IntraVet Veterinary Software and the ImproMed Infininity.
AVIMark is the 2nd in the most used veterinary software in 2010 based on a survey conducted by Trends Magazine with a market share of 24% with an overall satisfaction rate of 3.9 in a scale of 1 to 5. 79% of the respondents also recommend it for their colleagues to use. (Hardesty, 2010) About 10,000 practitioners are using the system as it is easy to use because of its Windows Office like interface and compatibility with any the Windows operating system. It can also be used by varied sizes of veterinary practice. The developers of the practice management tool are the Henry Schein Animal Health family of companies who boost to have been providing the veterinary industry with software solutions since 1988. They are a 130 strong company whose main office is located at Piedmont, Missouri.
While AviMark is one of the pioneers, IntraVet is one of the newest companies venturing in providing veterinary practice solutions however, one of the most successful because of its offer of cloud-based services to enable easy and mobile access of information. The developers of IntraVet are the Patterson Veterinary group of companies who specializes in the provision of veterinary technology and supplies. The history of the company dates back in 1877 and is currently operating globally with offices in North America, England and France. Based on the survey done by trends magazine, the software tool had a market share of 9%, satisfaction rate of 3.7 and 59% of the respondents recommended it to their colleagues.
ImproMed Infinity is another company which offers web-based veterinary software tools and specializes in the provision of software that have full suite of both accounting and reporting features as well as patient management systems. In 2010, it has a market share of 16%, satisfaction rate of 4.1% and 79% of its users recommended it to their colleagues. It is the oldest provider of veterinary management software that dates back in 1979. ImproMed, LLC was acquired by the Henry Schein Animal Health company in 2011 as an independent member.
Among the three software mentioned above, only the AVImark software is locally hosted while the other two are web-based. This means that, ImproMed and IntraVet can be easily accessed by both staff and practitioners anywhere they go, one needs to bring with them the computer containing the software when using the AVIMark. All features billing services, credit card processing integration, medical records keeping, schedule reminders, mobile application, reporting, supports referrals (referring veterinarians), and conversion support from other software vendors. Only, AviMark provides this support with a fee while the other two provides conversion support for free. All of the three provides free trial versions of the software available on their websites. The pricing of the products is not fixed as the features you enroll determines the final pricing.
ImproMed Infinity has added features of ability to integrate with quickbooks while the other two does not support it but have offline sync features to be able to easily update files and accessing them even if they are offline. AviMed has additional features of inventory management, image storing and prescription labeling with reminders features.
Besides having websites that provides general information, documentations and technical support documents, all three companies offer 24/7 online support (live chat) and helpdesk and other remote assistance features. Based on the results of preliminary consultations, AVIMark also offers on-site assistance. In terms of disaster risk management features, only ImproMed has a clear contingency plan in case of software failure by providing a disaster recovery guide on their website, although all three have backup features bundled with their software. Since, the products are software, installations are taken care of by the one who bought the software. In the case of ImproMed and IntraVet, necessary updates are automatic since they are available online, but additional features a client wants to add to their software has to be requested and paid first before installation.
The medical record features of each of the systems have the capability to automatically import lab results entered to a patient’s record into its medical records.The client’s needs are still foremost in choosing the right veterinary software. Before deciding which among these software available in the market will you buy, it is better to access first what are your needs before making the big decision because both failure and success in using the chosen system affects the operation of your company.
Works Cited:
Treymane, Jessica (2012). Software can lead to Leaner Operation, Improved Efficiency. Veterinarypracticenews.com. Web. 20 Dec 2014
Hardesty, Constance (2010). Reader’s Choice Software Survey. Impromed.com. Web. 20 Dec 2014
Veterinary Software Features (n.d.). veterinaryysoftwarereviews.com. Web. 20 Dec 2014
