🧠 Smart Practice: 5 AI & Tech Wins for 2026

Your goal for 2026 shouldn’t be to automate your entire clinic or replace the human connection your clients value. It is to identify the specific technologies that remove operational friction and allow your team to focus on clinical excellence. The distinction between “nice to have” gadgets and tools that make a measurable difference is becoming clearer, and the best options are those that quietly support your workflow rather than demanding you change it.

Every day, we monitor the landscape and listen to feedback from the thousands of veterinary professionals in our network. The clear message is that technology must deliver immediate relief to workload and flow, not just future promises. Discover the five specific tools that are already solving these challenges and find out which deserve a place in your 2026 strategy…

Connect With Your New Team Members

AI Medical Documentation & SOAP Note Automation

These tools use ambient clinical intelligence to “listen” to your consultations via a smartphone or laptop, distinguishing between casual chatter and medical facts to automatically draft a complete SOAP note.

From a practical standpoint, the value is in protecting your mental energy and ensuring record compliance. When a veterinarian does not have to hold an entire consult in their working memory or scribble frantic shorthand, they can focus entirely on the patient. It ensures that the “small talk” (which often contains critical context about home life or compliance) is captured accurately, upgrading the legal and clinical standard of your records without nagging your team to type more.

The intangible benefit is arguably more valuable: it is a direct counter to burnout. The administrative burden of writing notes after a long shift is a primary driver of fatigue and resignation. By removing the need to stay late to finish paperwork, you are not just buying software; you are investing in the longevity and mental health of your veterinary team.

Outcomes: reduced mental load, higher record accuracy, and improved team retention.

Providers you should explore:

• VetRec – https://www.vetrec.io/en-gb
• Scribenote – https://scribenote.com/
• CoVet – https://www.co.vet/

It captures the tiny details I usually forget to write down by the end of the day. My records are actually better now, and I’m spending zero extra energy on them. The mental relief of not having a ‘to-do’ list of notes hanging over me is worth every penny – Sarah J., Associate DVM, Ohio, USA

Telemedicine & Teleconsulting – In-House

These platforms allow your practice to conduct video or chat-based consultations for triage, re-checks, and advice, conducted seamlessly on-site or even when working from home.

The practical gain here is monetizing the “invisible workload” that currently clogs your phone lines. Your team is likely already giving away hours of advice every week for free; formalizing this through a platform converts unbilled time into revenue and ensures that your physical consult rooms are reserved for patients who truly need hands-on care. It turns a chaotic phone log into a structured, billable schedule.

On an intangible level, this is about defending your client relationships. Pet owners now expect digital convenience, and if your clinic does not offer a “digital front door,” they will eventually drift toward external, direct-to-consumer tele-vet apps. Offering this service yourself keeps the client tethered to your ecosystem and prevents trust from diluting to third-party providers.

Outcomes: new revenue streams from previously unbilled time and stronger defense against external competitors.

Providers you should explore:

• Petriage – https://www.petriage.com/
• Digitail – https://digitail.com/
• Otto – https://otto.vet/

We realized we were giving away hours of advice on the phone. Moving that to a platform means we get paid for our time, and the clients actually take the advice more seriously. It stops them drifting to ‘Dr. Google’ because we are right there in their pocket – James P., Practice Manager, Sydney, Australia

AI-Powered Client Communication Tools

These systems unify calls, texts, and emails into a single dashboard and utilize AI to automatically handle routine inquiries like appointment bookings, hours, or prescription requests.

The practical advantage is moving your client base toward asynchronous communication. A text message is significantly faster to process than a phone call, allowing one receptionist to handle five interactions in the time it takes to handle one voice call. This efficiency prevents bottlenecks at the front desk and ensures that 100% of missed calls receive an instant text response, capturing business that would otherwise be lost.

The intangible impact is on the “emotional temperature” of your reception area. The constant ringing of phones is a major stressor that fractures the focus of your front desk team and creates a chaotic atmosphere for waiting clients. By filtering out the noise, you create a calmer environment where your staff can actually engage with the people standing in front of them.

Outcomes: a quieter reception area, higher booking capture rates, and reduced receptionist fatigue.

Providers you should explore:

• PetDesk – https://petdesk.com/
• VetConnect.ai – https://vetconnect.ai/
• Weave – https://www.getweave.com/industry/veterinary/

The phone noise used to drive us all mad by 10am. Having a system that texts reminders and answers the basic stuff means we can actually greet people properly when they walk in. It feels a lot less chaotic at the front now, and we aren’t missing new clients just because the line is busy – Kelly T., Head Nurse, Brisbane, Australia

Integrated Payment Flexibility Platforms

These platforms move beyond standard credit card processing to offer “buy now, pay later” and installment options directly at the checkout terminal or via a mobile link sent to the client’s phone, and often already have integrations for your PIMS built in.

The practical benefit is immediate treatment compliance. Cost is the most common barrier to care, and offering a split-payment option at the exact moment of decision removes the “sticker shock.” It allows clients to say yes to the best treatment plan without the practice needing to act as the bank or manage risky in-house payment plans.

The intangible benefit is the removal of emotional friction for your staff. Discussing money is often the most stressful part of a vet’s or receptionist’s day. When the payment terminal offers the solution automatically, your team no longer feels like “salespeople.” They can advocate for the pet with confidence, knowing the client has a dignified way to manage the cost.

Outcomes: higher acceptance of treatment plans, reduced accounts receivable chasing, and less emotional stress for the team.

Providers you should explore:

• Scratchpay – https://scratchpay.com/
• VetBilling – https://vetbilling.com/
• Affirm – https://www.affirm.com/

Money talks are the worst part of the job for my team. Giving people a monthly option right on the terminal stops the awkward silence. They just say yes more often. I hate chasing accounts so this sorts it out before they even walk out the door – Marc L., Practice Manager, Toronto, Canada

Continuous Matching Recruitment Platform

This technology shifts hiring from a reactive “post and pray” model to a continuous pipeline approach. Instead of buying an ad only when someone resigns, this approach keeps your practice visible to active and passive candidates year-round.

The practical advantage is continuous visibility that can also be wound up when you have a specific need. More importantly, matches are based on aligning the candidate and practice cultural values, not solely on technical proficiency.

The intangible value is peace of mind. As you are always “in the market” you have less chance of missing that ideal new team member, and knowing you have a recruitment engine running in the background eliminates the anxiety that sets in when a key staff member gives notice.

Outcomes: better long-term cultural matching, reduced time-to-hire, lower recruitment anxiety.

Providers you should explore:

• Veterinary Jobs Marketplace – Preview Our New Approach

I’ve chatted with the Veterinary Jobs Marketplace team about their plans for a continuous matching solution that runs in the background. Finding people based on culture as well as skills sounds like exactly the novel approach this industry has been missing. It’s a different way of thinking about an ongoing problem – Senior Practice Partner, London, UK

Closing Thoughts…

Becoming a “Future Ready” clinic doesn’t mean subscribing to every new service that launches. It means selecting the few tools that genuinely solve your team’s frustrations. Technology should serve your workflow, not the other way around. The most impressive clinics of 2026 won’t be the ones with the most gadgets; they will be the ones where the team leaves on time and the reception desk is calm.

As you look toward the new year, your opportunity is to pick just one of these five areas to investigate, implement and reap the rewards. Whether it is freeing up your vets with AI notes or smoothing out cash flow with better payment options, a single strategic upgrade can make your practice a happier place to work, reducing friction, improving retention and building resilience.

---

About Veterinary Jobs Marketplace…