Coping with Technology Overload

With so much technology at our disposal, it can be overwhelming to sort through all of the available choices. Which software, app or platform is best? At the end of the day, there is only one right answer: the solution that is most suitable for your practice’s needs. Read on for tips to help you sort through the clutter when choosing a technology platform.

Evaluating Your Options
When it comes to evaluating any new program, start with the end in mind. As a team, determine the biggest problems facing the practice and identify the areas that are huge time drains on your staff. 

Answering those two questions is key because every practice's needs are different. Some practices might need assistance increasing appointments while others are already booked out weeks in advance. Some might need ways to help their doctors get notes transcribed while others might be most concerned about helping clients after hours during on-call shifts. 

Attend any large conference or open a journal and you’ll notice lots of flashy marketing for ALL the technology offerings - but you can't have them all, nor should you. You must figure out what's best for your practice. 

Sorting through the Clutter
Refer to these tips to help sort through the abundance of technology offerings at your disposal.

1. Take an inventory of the technology companies you're already working with. Many of them pivoted and/or added offerings during the pandemic, and we were too busy staying afloat to notice. It's a heck of a lot easier to add on a service with a company you already know, like and trust. 
2. Spend time getting buy-in from staff. If only one or two people really want the technology, you'll never get the team on board unless they know the WIFM (what's in it for me) reasoning. Once everyone understands the benefits, they're more likely to adopt the technology and embrace the implementation. 
3. Invest some time in getting the technology to work with your practice's specific nuances. Team training, testing, beta testing with key clients, and post-launch review should be completed to take full advantage of the features and conveniences most of the technology programs offer. Sign-up/pay-as-you-go is not an option.

Make no mistake, coping with tech overload is no easy feat. But with some thorough research and careful planning, your practice is sure to identify a software platform that can help you reap the rewards that positively impact your business.
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--Caitlin DeWilde, DVM

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