The 3rd annual VVCA Summit is scheduled for four consecutive Mondays and will be held virtually. The event is crafted for veterinary professionals aiming to broaden their understanding and proficiency in the evolving domain of veterinary virtual care. The Webinar Vet will facilitate the event. Source: VVCA, October 2, 2023. Link. Dates: Mondays: October 30th, November … [Read more...]
Telehealth is good for people and pets
Telehealth medicine brings medical resources to people who can’t get to a doctor’s office or hospital. In the same way, veterinary telehealth can bring care to pets whose owners can’t make it to a veterinary clinic. But not in California. Veterinary telehealth is so restricted it is sparingly used for follow-up care or for emergency triage. This editorial by the Los Angeles … [Read more...]
VVCA announces new platform for members
The Veterinary Virtual Care Association unveiled an upgraded membership platform on August 1. According to executive director Graysen Gilbraith Biensch, members can expect an enhanced user experience to improve access to care through education, best practices and advocacy of veterinary virtual care. Former members will need to re-register to gain access to new resources … [Read more...]
Clarifying the recission of the FDA VCPR waiver
The Veterinary Virtual Care Association explains how the FDA’s rescission of the Covid-era waiver to agency regulations concerning the VCPR may affect practices and their clients. Source: VVCA, December 28, 2022. Link. This is not a new FDA policy, but simply a federal agency rescission of the COVID-era waiver pertaining to a regulation instituted decades ago. The … [Read more...]
Veterinary Virtual Care Association releases model telemedicine regulations
The Model Telemedicine Regulations released during the AVMA annual conference this week facilitate the practicing veterinarians’ trained judgment and address the growing demand for guidance surrounding the veterinary client patient relationship when providing telemedicine services. The VVCA issued these regulations as a framework to provide support and direction for … [Read more...]
3 Ways telemedicine improves veterinary care for livestock
Opinion It is no secret livestock owners, farmers and ranchers have challenges accessing qualified veterinary care. The Veterinary Feed Directive put added requirements on available food animal veterinarians. Many equine and livestock veterinarians have used the telephone effectively for years. Now, new digital tools offer potentially more efficiency and effectiveness for … [Read more...]
Best practices for legal and ethical issues with delivering virtual care
The Veterinary Virtual Care Association provides a free resource for veterinary practices considering or implementing virtual care and navigating legal and ethical considerations. The free resource covers topics like: VCPRs Licensing Medical Record Keeping Malpractice Insurance Client Communication Prescribing Source: VVCA, June 2020. … [Read more...]
Hannah Lau, DVM next on VVCA Lunch and Learn
Complimentary The VVCA Lunch and Learn series continues Wednesday, October 27 at 12:30 p.m. EDT. Hannah Lau, DVM, will share telehealth cases from her practice. She has been practicing veterinary telemedicine and telehealth fulltime since 2019, along with a small team of remote veterinary technicians and assistants. Although living in southwest Virginia, Lau practices … [Read more...]
VVCA member benefits worth the price of admission
Complimentary If only for the lunch and learn events, membership in the VVCA is worth the small fee. Plus, employees of sponsor organizations receive membership at no cost. Telemedicine is here to stay – for us personally in our own health, and for the health of our pets. Consumer demand won’t let us go backward at this point. Virtual care is … [Read more...]
First Telehealth Awareness Week happening NOW
The American Telemedicine Association is bringing together leaders in telehealth service delivery, hospital systems and medical practices, technology solution providers, patient advocacy organizations, policymakers and other stakeholders during the first-annual Telehealth Awareness Week™, September 19-25, 2021. Virtual care is moving & shaking! Kudos to the ATA for making … [Read more...]
Vets DO IT on the phone – Chatfields chat with Aaron Smiley, DVM
Dr. Jen the vet and Dr. Jason Chatfield are joined by Dr. Aaron Smiley to find out what is and isn't legitimate telemedicine. Smiley is one of the founders of the Veterinary Virtual Care Association and a champion of monetizing virtual care interactions. Telemedicine is not new. . . 140 years and going strong. What’s new is the expansion in technologies.” – Aaron Smiley, … [Read more...]
WEBINAR TODAY! U.S. Veterinary telehealth data, WhiskerDocs
There’s still time to register for this VVCA Community webinar that takes place at 11:00 a.m. PDT/2:00 p.m. EDT today. Deb Leon, CEO of whiskerDocs and founding board member of VVCA, will share an in-depth analysis of their 90,000 U.S. interactions from 2020. Come and learn what they found! We'll be busting more industry and profession-wide myths. The webinar is free to VVCA … [Read more...]
VVCA Lunch & Learn demonstrates importance of decision support
Opinion Kudos to Shadi Ireifej and Ali McIntyre for coordinating and producing the May 26 VVCA Lunch & Learn. The only disappointment was low attendance. Ireifej shared several video cases where clients needed support to decide if their animal warranted emergency care. It was impressive to see and hear how Ireifej: Engaged the clients comfortably and casually … [Read more...]
Research insights on telemedicine; changing pet owner expectations regarding accessing
Vet-AI and Joii Pet Care released new insights into the effectiveness and safety of remote prescribing. They are collected from tens of thousands of consults during the pandemic, as well as exclusive pet parent research which highlights owner expectations and needs. The insights were first shared in a live webinar called The Great British Data Show last week hosted by The … [Read more...]
Telemedicine policy advancements
Two states have joined adopters of new and progressive telemedicine reforms across the U.S.. Mark Cushing, JD, shares the good news from Michigan and New Jersey while comparing how these states made regulatory changes that allowed a telemedicine VCPR to be established. Source: VVCA, Mark Five series, May 3, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Changing telemedicine regulations is a … [Read more...]
VVCA inaugural Lunch and Learn deemed a success
VVCA Board member, Aaron Smiley, DVM, was the featured speaker during the inaugural Lunch and Learn series for VVCA Community members. Smiley brought his well-known enthusiasm to the group as he shared step-by-step use of telemedicine, client interactions and veterinary nurse involvement in two cases from his practice in Indiana. He also demonstrated how he monetizes virtual … [Read more...]
VVCA Practice groups provide superb access for veterinary teams
Complimentary – includes discount offer! The updates to the Veterinary Virtual Care Association’s (VVCA) new Community are in place and gathering momentum. Employees from sponsoring companies can register at no charge by using the code issued to each sponsor. Groups of up to 10 individuals may join under a Veterinary Practice Team membership purchased by an individual … [Read more...]
VVCA updating memberships, launching interactive VVCA Community
Member support and engagement are basic tenets of the Veterinary Virtual Care Association. A new, interactive VVCA Community will provide member-only engagement, peer-to-peer conversations, increased learning, exclusive interviews and networking groups. Updating current membership information and registering is required. The VVCA upgrades will further support telehealth and … [Read more...]
VVCA seeking study participants; please help
Take 20 minutes to support a study that will provide data and insights needed to drive innovations and access to care in the veterinary profession. Debbie Sigesmund, BSc DVM, asked the VVCA to support data collection from small and mixed animal practicing veterinarians. The research team from the Ontario Veterinary College is studying veterinarian and pet owners’ perceptions … [Read more...]
VVCA unveils Veterinary Telemedicine Regulatory Map
Mark Cushing, JD, and Ali McIntyre, executive director of VVCA, share work done with the Animal Policy Group research team that helped create the most definitive, comprehensive and accurate state-by-state map of all laws and regulations, including COVID guidance from governors, about telemedicine or virtual care. <the map> is a living, breathing tool . . . not just for … [Read more...]
VVCA Mark Five series compares telemedicine policies: AVMA, AAVSB, and VIC
Continuing his series about the dynamics of telemedicine in the veterinary space, Mark Cushing, JD, compares the policies of three organizations that set guidance for veterinarians. He first reminds us that the VCPR rules were established to create a legal basis for state boards to take disciplinary actions against a practitioner, NOT to protect animals under the care of … [Read more...]
Mark Five episode 5: the role of vet technicians, vet nurses in telemedicine
Complimentary content from VVCA Mark Cushing, JD, addresses the empowerment or restriction of veterinary technicians or vet nurses as telemedicine grows in veterinary practice. Although it is an area that has been widely debated, he clarifies areas to consider: The 3 NOs for vet techs/nurses Types of supervision of vet techs, vet nurses by DVMs Use of these … [Read more...]
VVCA in virtual care driver’s seat
Complimentary content The Mark Five: Policy Off Leash series continues with the third and fourth editions. In the third edition, Mark Cushing, JD, shares critical information about how the FDA views telemedicine. The discussion focuses on off-label prescriptions and traditional VCPR in the FDA regulations. The FDA rule is limited to extra-label drug prescriptions and was … [Read more...]
VVCA Mark Five series: VCPR Changes Since COVID-19
Complimentary Content In this second Mark Five video, Mark Cushing, J.D. covers the complex subject of how Covid affected telemedicine VCPR policies. Fortunately, veterinary medicine was declared essential across all of the United States. Three different types of took actions that affected they did something about telemedicine VCPR policy: 17 states suspended their … [Read more...]
VVCA series addresses telemedicine questions, challenges
Responding to feedback from veterinarians, veterinary techs and nurses, the Veterinary Virtual Care Association created a series of short videos by Mark Cushing, founder and managing partner of the Animal Policy Group, and co-founder of the VVCA. In the first video he reviews the policies that govern veterinary telemedicine. His focus is on the basics of the veterinary client … [Read more...]
The future of veterinary telemedicine
Complimentary Content Roger Redman, DVM, and president of American Association of Veterinary State Boards shares his perspectives on telemedicine. He believes telemedicine isn’t just a part of the veterinary future, but that it guarantees the profession has one. He discusses VCPR, the expanded use of telemedicine platforms to facilitate access and the potential for dedicated … [Read more...]
VVCA post-summit reminders
Nearly a month has passed since the successful VVCA Veterinary Virtual Care Summit. It is easy to return to daily tasks and forget to use resources offered during conferences. Here are two reminders. View the dynamic content summit sponsors made available in the Summit's virtual marketplace! It's open for registered participants until November 15,2020. Link. The VVCA … [Read more...]
VVCA inaugural summit sets the stage for virtual care
Congratulations to the Veterinary Virtual Care Association team on their successful Virtual Care Summit, which took place August 18. Concurrent with the summit, the organization launched an updated website <link>. A substantial set of educational options were offered. They included compelling speakers and animal health pros experienced in hands-off virtual medical care … [Read more...]
More than 2000 registered for VVCA live event
The Veterinary Virtual Care Association (VVCA) is hosting it’s first online summit August 18th. It offers 5.5 hours of free education to veterinarians, technicians, and others interested in elevating the level of care they provide to animals. The notice lists the speakers presenting the continuing education. Source: VVCA media release, August 5, 2020. Link. We are thrilled … [Read more...]
VVCA board members present at ATA conference (video replay)
The animal health industry was represented at the American Telemedicine Association conference. VVCA Board members Mark Cushing and Deb Leon discussed the future of pet virtual care, the importance of improving the health care of animals and the effort to provide veterinary care access for an extended group of animal owners. . . . like human telemedicine, the ongoing … [Read more...]