18/01/2010Posted : January 18, 2010
New company gives vets expert opinion on-line

A company offering online consultations marks a UK first in on-line telemedicine. Launched this month, Televetdx is the first UK-based, dedicated veterinary telemedicine company and has gathered over 40 recognised veterinary specialists to offer their services to vets in the UK and Europe.

Company director and veterinary pathologist Anne Lanevschi said: "Most pet owners want to provide their pets with the best possible care and this means access to the best possible advice from recognised veterinary specialists. Televetdx brings together specialists from referral practices and academia for radiology, cardiology and internal medicine that veterinarians can use as part of their practice to help with accurate diagnosis and treatment decision-making."

According to Dr Lanevschi, accessing specialists online as a flexible resource provides a convenient option to immediate referral and can save owners time and money despite the telemedicine fee.

When pet owners, advised by their veterinary surgeon, agree to a telemedicine consultation, they are electing for the comfort of care and follow-up at their local veterinary practice. This saves owners time and minimises stress to the pet and costs due to travel or referral fees. The specialist or veterinary surgeon will be able to judge when a case needs referring to a centre, for example if the clinic is not equipped for the specialised medical care required.

Dr Lanevschi said: "A referral is often not accessible to the pet owner for a variety of reasons. On the other hand, a veterinary surgeon might feel comfortable handling a more complex case but lack some of the needed expertise. Consulting and working closely with specialists allows vets to quickly obtain tailored advice on a case and work more efficiently while providing a high quality service to pet owners. We include full follow-up as part our standard charge with no additional costs for resubmitting the same case with extra information, for example, additional test results or images."

Televetdx works through a secure on-line interface that registered vets can use to upload scans or images and other test data. These are then passed to the most appropriate expert in the Televetdx consulting team who can assess the data and offer expert opinion and data interpretation.

The specialist that first attends a telemedicine case is usually the closest to the requesting veterinary surgeon since a thorough understanding of disease and therapy takes into account variations that may occur due to differences in geography or pet-keeping culture and also the medications and formulations that are available nationally.

Dr Lanevschi said: "Our experience has shown us that location matters so we have organised our team to be able to offer vets locally experienced specialists."

She concluded: "Being part of a team has tangible benefits to veterinarians and pet owners – we can refer cases to other colleagues if appropriate to provide the veterinary surgeon with the most accurate information we can for their diagnosis. When pet owners witness their veterinarian working closely with specialists they are given the assurance that their pet is receiving the best possible care."

Until April, Televetdx will be offering a limited 30-day trial offer. New clinics can submit up to three cases free of charge. Visit www.televetdx.com to register.