AI in veterinary medicine – potential areas of impact

Implementing an artificial intelligence strategy is a must for veterinary practices moving into the future. Access to specialists is not always available to hospitals or clients, and AI offers an attractive solution. However, experts believe that depending solely on AI can be detrimental. A strategic combination of both human competency and AI technology is important to drive the best care.

Some of the products related to AI in veterinary practice have already been in the marketplace for years. These are expected to gain immense popularity in the near future. The market for global wearable devices for the remote monitoring of pet health and activity is forecast to reach over $8 billion by year 2025.

When it comes to the human health market, similar products have gained in popularity. These are known for measuring simple parameters such as movement, heart rate, and body temperature. In addition, these devices keep tabs on food intake. They will make recommendations based on appropriate behavioral responses. For instance, these devices will inform diabetic patients about requirements for glucose or insulin.

New devices with the capability of measuring other important parameters will soon be available. In the veterinary field, cattle can be fitted with movement sensors to identify the onset of estrus. Similar technology will no doubt become available for other species, including pigs. At present, these sensors are quite expensive, especially for routine usage. Special efforts are being made to produce low-cost versions of the technology that would make them more accessible to farming operations.

This process will emulate the rapid decrease in the cost of genome analysis, resulting in possible developments of custom-made medicines in animals and human patients. Apart from identifying individuals with genotypes that may make them more or less vulnerable to the effects of specific drugs, professionals will also carry out genomic analyses on microbiome samples from the skin, gut, and other sites to evaluate which disease-causing organisms may exist in the patient’s body. There have been speculations on whether these approaches will ultimately lead to a reduction in the demand for antibiotics.

Advancements in monitoring technologies will similarly lead to challenges in processing and applying the available data. It is believed that doctors will have access to 200 times more data than the human mind can process. Consequently, another priority is the development of artificial intelligence software that analyzes this mass of information and draws precise conclusions about its meaning.

Current applications

2. First-line primary consultations

This is another area where AI shows enormous potential. For human patients, smart kiosks are available that cut down on wait times, a major source of dissatisfaction among patients and stress for physicians. However, a combination of AI and detailed AR (augmented reality) instructions ensures a consistent, accurate, and detailed collection of crucial patient history and physical examination data. This is provided and collected by the patients themselves while they are guided through the entire procedure. After collecting the relevant data (usually completed in under 15 minutes), the doctor is sent a detailed patient work-up that includes a proper breakdown of predicted illnesses and treatment options. The medical practitioner then conducts a video consultation in order to confirm the authenticity of the AI-collected information, verify the diagnosis, and approve or alter the treatment plan. AI will also help maintain detailed and accurate healthcare records, and will automatically follow up with patients within a few days of the consultation.

Special efforts are being made to roll out veterinary-related versions of this system. Experts in the field believe that this technology will significantly augment the experience of clients and their pets. Implementation of this technology will also improve the professional lives of veterinarians, who face similar issues of stress and overload as their human physician counterparts.

Using artificial intelligence software provides an attractive option for all doctors, allowing them to receive crucial diagnostic information almost immediately.

Author disclosure statement: Eric Goldman is President of Vetology AI, a company that designs and delivers service innovation for the veterinary industry. He has a financial interest in Vetology Innovations LLC. For more information visit vetology.ai.

The American Medical Veterinary Association (AVMA) interviewed Dr. Seth Wallack, Founder of Vetology and Eric Goldman, President of Vetology.

We discussed with the AVMA the challenges of not having enough radiologists to meet the demand. This is not just a problem for our teleradiology practice, but a global problem that impacts general practice managers, specialty and emergency hospitals. Turn-around times for obtaining a radiology over-read by a boarded radiologist can take upwards of 8 hours to 5 days. A 2018 study predicted that, by the end of 2022, 66 percent of the North American veterinary teleradiology caseload will not be met.

Vetology recognized the power of AI technology to automatically read images and interpret results. In 2017, Vetology developed software to use visual object resolution to help diagnose diseases. The techniques were first used internally to support our own radiologists to be more efficient and meet demand. In 2018, the capabilities were expanded and we were the first to market to offer an augmented interpretation of radiographs using artificial intelligence and machine learning. This allowed for a complete radiograph interpretation in 5 minutes or less and on par to that of a human veterinary radiologist.

The AVMA identified that artificial intelligence has the ability to speed up radiology interpretations and provides a substantial benefit to both patient health and the DVM. Faster, more reliable results mean faster diagnoses, better treatment, and healthier pets.

Read the full article on the AVMA website