Inside AAHA: February 2022

View from the Board

Remote Technology: Moving from Science Fiction to Real-Life Tools

As our world becomes ever more technologically connected for better or worse, there are and will be many advances that allow remote monitoring of our pets and patients for personal and medical reasons. There will be further additions to our ability to enhance pet care while keeping remote observations at our fingertips. And it’s another instance of the pet product market continuing to grow, which I hope veterinarians will find not just medically beneficial but financially beneficial. In fact, recent market analyses reports predict that the global pet wearable market will grow from $703 million in 2019 to $1.72 billion by 2024.

We have long had the Holter Monitor to evaluate cardiac rhythm, but now there are many more items in the marketplace. Many of us are using the Freestyle Libre to monitor a patient’s blood glucose trends for as long as the disc stays on the pet (never the 14 days of human wear, but long enough to get good information).

In 2019, Dindog Tech in Spain debuted a wireless medical telemetry system for veterinary use called the DinBeat UNO to allow in-hospital or at-home real-time patient monitoring without cables for temperature, heart rate, electrocardiogram (ECG), respiration, position, and more. This wearable harness was developed with input and validation testing from several veterinary schools.

The advent of the supercomputer we call a cell phone is also pushing the development of apps linked to special pet collars or harnesses that have biosensing ability along with Cloud-based data analytics. These products use global positioning system (GPS) chips, radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, or different sensors to create smart collars that take advantage of WiFi, Bluetooth, and/or cellular connectivity to connect to cell phones. The longer-lasting batteries and better memory and displays of our phones puts instantaneous and continuous monitoring into the hands of pet owners.

Several of the invisible fence providers are promoting that future-generation products will expand health monitoring of an individual pet as technology allows them to move beyond just geofencing. Others, such as VetMeasure MeasureON!, are already monitoring body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, and activity levels continuously with the ability to link in the veterinarian to real-time data. Vetrax adds to basic monitoring by tracking pet behaviors such as scratching and shaking to perhaps give insight into dermatologic and arthritis issues in the individual pet.

My research uncovered that even the back end of the dog may be up for scrutiny never seen with the new BrilliantPad self-cleaning dog potty. In addition to wrapping and sealing the waste products, the BrilliantPad Smart adds “dog-activated modes of automation operation, waste analysis and health insights, and WiFi and app connectivity for remote control.” This includes a camera to maintain a “photo journal for review with your veterinarian.”

There’s much more to be found about emerging technology in this month’s article, so enjoy, and I hope you find something that can enhance your team’s care of our clients’ special family members.

Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ, is vice president of the AAHA Board of Directors. She is owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center in Denver, Colorado.

AAHA’s Board Wants YOU to Apply!

Scott Driever, DVM, believed in AAHA’s purpose so much that he wanted to help the association any way he could. He applied for a role on a committee. “I did not intend to be a board member per se, I just wanted to help,” Driever said. “The individuals on the board planted that seed and asked why I didn’t throw my hat in the ring. Having those board members ask me that question started the ball rolling. They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”

Driever is a Houston native who received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Texas A&M University in 2000. He has owned Animal Hospital Highway 6 in Sugar Land, Texas, since 2015. He joined the AAHA Board of Directors in 2020. Read his View from the Board letter on page 10 of this issue. Now entering his second year on the board, would he recommend others apply? You bet.

“You get to help a phenomenal association in a direct way, and do so with some amazing humans that become friends,” he said. To be eligible for the board, you must have been a member of the association for at least three years immediately preceding election. In addition, any member who has an ownership interest in a veterinary practice must have an ownership interest in an AAHA-accredited practice.

Other than that, the only requirement is for directors to be committed to AAHA’s mission and objectives. The board aims to reflect a range of skills and diversity in thought, geography, and practice types. Who does Driever hope applies? “People who are passionate about helping practices achieve veterinary excellence.”

“If you are an AAHA member and are interested in helping, but think that is something ‘others’ do, step up,” he said. “Having people stand on the sidelines does not improve organizations. If you are interested, reach out. You are who we are looking for!”

To learn more and apply to the AAHA Board of Directors, visit  aaha.org/leadership.

The deadline for applications to the 2022–2023 AAHA Board of Directors is February 25.

Dear AAHA

Catch Up with Dear AAHA

Each month, AAHA’s Member Experience team answers an anonymous question from practices just like yours about a variety of topics related to evaluations, practice management, the AAHA Standards of Accreditation, and more. Browse the Dear AAHA archives at aaha.org/dearaaha.

Have a question you’d like AAHA to answer? Email us at [email protected].

Photo credits: Photo courtesy of Pam Nichols