FAQ
What Services Do You Offer?
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We are a Telehealth omni-platform that allows your veterinary practice to cater to your client’s and patient’s needs 24/7. When you leave the office for the day, GuardianVets is on call to speak with your clients and provide urgent support. Your client will speak with a credentialed veterinary technician or a licensed DVM who will help assess the situation in a professional manner. We respect your VCPR and will not diagnose, prescribe, or treat your patient, but simply determine whether the situation is emergent. We also provide DVMs within your practice a Telemedicine platform to communicate with pet owners through an IOS or Android application. You set your own Telemedicine fees; clients are charged prior to initiating a consultation. In addition, GuardianVets provides a communication platform through which owners can text the practice, request appointments and medication refills, and select veterinary products from a curated list that your practice generates.
Is After Hours Care Really That Big Of An Issue?
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Yes. The fact that you’re asking indicates that you’re both interested in improving customer service and likely not actively tracking the single most important lifeline for your business—your phones!
Think about how much you invest in obtaining new clients (e.g., ads, postcards, events, etc.) and maintaining existing clients (e.g., front office staff to answer the phone, send out appointment reminders, etc). Easily $50,000+ per year when you remember the staff costs, right?
Now think about this… What happens to that investment if a client tries to reach you and you’re unavailable?
How Will This Benefit Me And My Practice?
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A summary of our benefits is provided below:
Service Quality: As pet owners ourselves, we know firsthand how difficult it can be to have a health-related question at night or during the weekend and only have the emergency clinic or a Google search as a resource. Our platform is an invaluable tool which provides your clients with peace of mind when they need it most. Also, it is a great way to differentiate yourself from the other veterinarians in your area!
Financial Return: When a pet owner is referred to the emergency clinic for non-emergencies, that is a missed opportunity for your practice to see that patient. Because our services work while your practice is closed, we help create new touch-points for patient engagement and allow you to generate new appointments. By logging in to your dashboard, you can easily see what new appointments were generated while you were closed.
Work-Life Balance: It is exhausting to be on call every night, plus weekends and holidays. You miss a lot of your personal life and often have very little financial gain in return. Let us help you by handling your after-hours calls. YOU can decide if you want to be reached in case of an emergency.
How does Teletriage work?
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After signup, you will receive a call from one of our onboarding specialists to have an initial consultation. This is important for us to understand your greeting preferences, where you would like us to direct actual emergencies, any special holidays or deviations from your normal hours of operation, etc. We also will ask you to send us your logo so that we can begin customizing your outreach program to your patients. We prefer to do this over the phone rather than automate it online because it gives you an opportunity to ask any remaining questions before going live.
At the completion of onboarding, we will mail you customized postcards that you can distribute in your practice. We will also coordinate all your social media/email notifications and ensure your phone lines are properly set up. If you’d like, we can even provide you with a custom application so your patients can have video-on-demand consultations! Once the platform is set up, you will have access to an administrative dashboard where you can view key statistics such as: who called, when they called, what they called for, and how many appointment requests were generated.
When a triage team member answers a call, they first identify themselves and confirm they are answering for your hospital. The medical inquiry is then triaged using a systematic, comprehensive questionnaire, thus determining whether the issue is emergent or non-emergent. Emergent cases are referred to your ER of choice or your on-call doctor. Non-emergent cases are either scheduled with your hospital the following day OR a request is generated to have your hospital contact the client the following business day.
How do you ensure high quality Teletriage service?
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It is in our mutual best interest to make sure we only hire and retain the highest quality licensed veterinary professionals (as well as team members in general). If you are interested in our services and would like to learn more about our team or speak directly with one of our DVMs, please let us know! We have also spent considerable time developing evidence-based protocols and clinical guidelines to assist our team members during the triage process. These protocols are in place to provide a consistently high standard of care. Last but not least, we routinely reach out to regulatory bodies to establish industry best practice.
Does Teletriage Violate VCPR Regulations?
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No. We have carefully worked with our legal team and various regulatory bodies to make sure that our Teletriage services do not establish any VCPR. Our doctors do not in any way provide diagnoses nor are we a substitute for a physical examination. Our triage team does not provide a prognosis or prescribe medications. To be clear, our Teletriage team DOES NOT provide Telemedicine. We do, however, provide triage support, assist owners in determining emergent versus non-emergent concerns, and assist with scheduling appointments with the practice the following day.
What are some appropriate ways to use Telemedicine?
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Telemedicine MAY be appropriate for the following situations, provided that a valid VCPR is in place and that professional services can be safely provided to your patient:
• Recheck exams
• Post-operative follow ups
• Behavioral consultations
• Nutritional consultations
• Certain dermatology concerns
• Certain orthopedic concerns
• Daytime triage to determine the need for a physical visit
• Hospice care
Are there any legal considerations when providing Telemedicine to my clients?
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Yes! Please refer to your state practice act and current regulations and follow those established Telemedicine guidelines. If an established VCPR is lacking, a veterinarian may only provide general advice. This advice should not contain a diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment, and should be non-specific in nature. You should also ensure proper malpractice insurance is in place.
Do you document and record everything?
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Yes! All calls are recorded and the audio is made available to you. Every triage consultation is documented via email as well and sent to designated email addresses as soon as the call concludes.
What is Two-way Chat and how does it relate to Telemedicine or Triage?
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The basic definition of Two-way Chat is any communication that is done over the Internet. GuardianVets provides an all encompassing digital communication platform through three tiers of service.
1. We provide Teletriage with our licensed veterinary nurses and DVMs to serve a practice’s client base after hours.
2. We also provide a Telemedicine platform for practice DVM’s to communicate directly with their clients through text and/or video.
3. Lastly, we provide Two-way Chat, which is a central communication hub, that allows CSRs and other office personnel to communicate with your clients during the day via chat or by phone.
Telemedicine
How can I integrate Telemedicine into my workflows?
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You can integrate Telemedicine into your workflow on a scheduled or unscheduled basis. You can schedule Telemedicine appointments throughout your work day. You can also utilize the on-demand feature during days, evenings, and weekends.
How much should I charge for Telemedicine consults?
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This depends on what type of appointment you are scheduling and how long it will take you. Most Telemedicine appointments are priced similar to recheck appointments as a starting point. Duration of the appointment will need to be factored in. Also, consider the convenience you are providing to owners, which is invaluable to them.
Does my state allow Telemedicine?
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Please become familiar with your state’s practice act. Your VMA can also answer questions about interpretation of practice act language and regulations.
Can you integrate into our PMS?
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We integrate into the most common PMS. Check with your GuardianVets sales team member or email us directly.
Are you going to connect my clients with a third party or competitor?
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No. You will provide Telemedicine to your clients within your valid VCPR.
Is this branded for my practice?
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Yes! Your hospital logo or photo is featured on the Pet Owner app. Your clients connect with your practice doctors during Telemedicine appointments. Your preferred products are featured in the MarketPlace feature on the Pet Owner app.
How do I charge my clients for this?
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Your clients are required to enter credit card information prior to scheduling a Telemedicine appointment. You set your prices for the various consultation types (see below) that you will offer. Payment is taken prior to an appointment being connected with you.
How long does this take to set up?
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Practice set-up is usually completed within 24-48 hours.
Are there any legal considerations when providing Telemedicine to my clients?
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Yes! Please refer to your state practice act and current regulations and follow those established Telemedicine guidelines. If an established VCPR is lacking, a veterinarian may only provide general advice. This advice should not contain a diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment, and should be non-specific in nature. You should also ensure proper malpractice insurance is in place.
Should I use Telemedicine to practice across state lines?
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Not without careful consideration and planning. Please refer to all state practice acts that are relevant to your particular situation. It is also important to consider proper licensure in all relevant states and important to determine whether a valid VCPR is present.
What are some appropriate ways to use Telemedicine?
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Telemedicine MAY be appropriate for the following situations, provided that a valid VCPR is in place and that professional services can be safely provided to your patient:
—Recheck exams
—Post-operative follow ups
—Behavioral consultations
—Nutritional consultations
—Certain dermatology concerns
—Certain orthopedic concerns
—Daytime triage to determine the need for a physical visit
—Hospice care
What situations should I avoid when using Telemedicine?
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Telemedicine is NOT appropriate for the following situations:
—New, non-established patients or clients
—Presentations that require an in-person physical exam
—Presentations where the patient is not residing within the state that you practice in and are licensed in
—Any medical or practice scenario that does not meet your state’s practice act regulations
—Situations where you do not have adequate lighting, telecommunication, or cannot safely communicate with the owner in order to advise, diagnose, and/or treat.
Triage Support
Is Teletriage the same as Telemedicine?
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No, Teletriage is not the same as Telemedicine! GuardianVets’ Teletriage is provided by a group of credentialed and licensed veterinary nurses and licensed veterinarians answering your practice’s calls after-hours. The team works with your clients to determine whether they have emergent or non-emergent concerns based on a series of questions about their animal. Our team DOES NOT diagnose, treat, or prescribe.
How does Teletriage work?
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When a triage team member answers a call, they first identify themselves and confirm they are answering for your hospital. The medical inquiry is then triaged using a systematic, comprehensive questionnaire, thus determining whether the issue is emergent or non-emergent. Emergent cases are referred to your ER of choice or your on-call doctor. Non-emergent cases are either scheduled with your hospital the following day OR a request is generated to have your hospital contact the client the following business day.
What if I am on-call?
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If you prefer to be on-call, emergent calls are forwarded to you via direct phone transfer or you can receive a text notification to contact a specific client about the triaged emergent issue.
What if my hospital rotates the on-call?
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Your practice provides GuardianVets with an on-call schedule so we can be sure to contact the appropriate doctor.
Do you document and record everything?
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Yes! All calls are recorded and the audio is made available to you. Every triage consultation is documented via email as well and sent to designated email addresses as soon as the call concludes.
How can we monetize this?
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Teletriage is best monetized by having non-emergent cases seen at your practice the following day. Owners call when they have concerns. The question should not be IF you should see someone, but HOW SOON you should see someone. Return on investment is greatly impacted by the quality of your customer service. Having a practice representative available 24/7 is excellent customer service.
What about liability concerns?
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All members of the triage team have extensive general and emergency practice experience. They are covered under both our business insurance and malpractice insurance.
Two-way Chat
What is Two-way Chat and how does it relate to Telemedicine or Triage?
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The basic definition of Two-way Chat is any communication that is done over the Internet. GuardianVets provides an all encompassing digital communication platform through three tiers of service.
1. We provide Teletriage with our licensed veterinary nurses and DVMs to serve a practice’s client base after hours.
2. We also provide a Telemedicine platform for practice DVM’s to communicate directly with their clients through text and/or video.
3. Lastly, we provide Two-way Chat, which is a central communication hub, that allows CSRs and other office personnel to communicate with your clients during the day via chat or by phone.
Can I schedule physical appointments through Two-way Chat?
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Yes! If GuardianVets is integrated into your practice management system, appointment scheduling is easy. Appointment requests can also be generated by your clients via the Pet Owner app.
Do you provide training in the use of Two-way Chat?
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Yes. There is a video tutorial with a general overview. There is also additional information provided during the on-boarding process.
What does Two-way Chat cost?
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Please contact your GuardianVets sales team member for individual pricing. Prices currently depend on predicted usage.
Pet Owner
Why should you use telemedicine?
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Telemedicine can be a great way to connect with your vet when you are not able to come into the office. You may have time constraints, transportation challenges, or live very far from the office. Telemedicine can help bring you and your pet to the practice
when you need it without leaving your home.
How do I download the app?
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Downloading the app is easy!
1. Grab your iPhone or Android phone
2. Click on either the Apple App Store or the Android App Store and Search for “GuardianVets”
3. Download the App “GuardianVets”. The correct app should have this logo:
How do I create my pet profile?
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Click on your “GuardianVets” app and log in using the login credentials that you set up after you downloaded the app. Once logged in, click over to the “My Pets” menu on the bottom of the screen. This should be the option second to the right. Click the blue “Add New Pet” button on the top of the screen. Fill in your pet’s name, date of birth, species, breed, and weight. You have now set up your pet profile!
How can I set up payments?
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Click on your “GuardianVets” app and log in using the login credentials that you set up after you downloaded the app. Once logged in, click over to the “Preferences” menu on the bottom of the screen. This should be the option all the way to the right. Click on “Payment Information” at the top of the screen. Enter your credit card number. Your account is now set up for payments!
What hours is my vet available?
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GuardianVets acts as a virtual extension of your veterinary hospital and in some instances can help your pet’s veterinarian stay available longer through triage support. However, veterinary practice still determines their hours of availability. Please make sure to check with your veterinary clinic for their hours of availability.
When should you use telemedicine?
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Telemedicine can be a great way to have questions answered about things that are concerning to you in regards to your pet. Questions about which food to feed, whether a rash needs to be seen in person, or behavior concerns can all be addressed through a telemedicine appointment. Life-threatening emergencies, difficulty breathing, abdominal bloating, collapse, and seizures should always be seen in person.
How can I provide the necessary information in order for my vet to assist me efficiently during my telemedicine appointment?
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Please have your pet confined to a small quiet space prior to the appointment and be ready to video or photograph the area of concern. Have your phone or tablet charged. Be ready to answer questions about the current problem as well as questions about the overall health and well being of your pet.
What is the difference between triage and telemedicine?
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Telemedicine is a tool that enables communication directly with your veterinarian using technology. Virtual visits, or video call appointments, are available with a telemedicine solution.
Triage support is a service that allows your pet’s veterinarian to have someone answer incoming calls to determine if your pet needs to go to the emergency room or if they simply need a non-emergency appointment to be scheduled with your veterinarian. Triage support allows for your veterinarian to have you speak with a trained and licensed nurse or veterinarian after-hours, on the weekend or over a holiday.
