Phone A Vet (PAV) is an app connecting animal owners with Australian registered veterinarians. It’s for veterinarians in practice getting lots of calls for advice from animal owners; it’s for veterinarians not in practice who want to exercise their knowledge and experience outside a practice setting at their convenience; and it’s for any veterinarian who wants to keep earning money when work is quiet. Instead of giving free phone advice, now you can get paid for it.
To download and use the app, veterinarians must first register via the Phone A Vet website www.phoneavet.com.au where the registration form and detailed descriptions reside.
How does it work:
The animal owner who may be a pet owner, farmer or anyone having a question about animals, uses the app to search a list of veterinarians’ profiles and select a veterinarian they think can help them. The animal owner sends a text with a question or outline of a problem, and can upload pictures, videos and other information. The veterinarians online receive an alert and can review the case (and the owners star rating) and decide if they want to take it. An interactive 15-minute tele-videoconference session can then be held with the animal owner.
The smartphone camera lets the veterinarian and the animal owner see and talk to each other. The rear camera switch on the app lets the owner show the veterinarian the animal and its environment. A visible timer counts down the 15 minutes and then cuts the tele-videoconferencing session. After the session the veterinarian can send a text message via the app to provide follow up information to the animal owner.