HARRISON COUNTY, Ohio – Artificial intelligence, or AI, has many applications, but can it help your pet? One local veterinarian says yes. Dr. Scott Pendleton of Heritage Veterinary Care in Hopedale, Ohio has added AI to his medical practice and says it’s a promising tool with the potential to help vets and animals, plus educate owners.
WATCH the interview with Dr. Pendleton below:
AI has come a long way since its first use by vets. Dr. Pendleton explained that his first encounter with veterinary AI was radiograph-reading software, but it wasn’t ready for clinical use:
“The first AI in veterinary medicine was reading radiographs… that was probably four or five years ago. It had a long way to go, so we did not purchase that,” Dr. Pendleton explained.
Today, he uses a system called Scribble to automatically generate medical records during exams:
“It automates the chart so we don’t have to type it. So it’s much faster. Saves me time, saves the patient’s time too,” Dr. Pendleton said.
At the start of each pet’s exam, Dr. Pendleton and his fellow vets at Heritage use an AI program called Scribble to record the visit. Scribble records and summarizes what the vet says and eliminates possible health issues.
Pendleton emphasizes that the AI does not diagnose illness. The vet still determines the diagnosis but the AI is a tool that can help the vet reach a conclusion. Pendleton said a recent study showed that vets who use AI have a higher percentage of making correct diagnoses.
“It suggests rule-outs. I would say that’s its weakest point. I don’t think it’s ready to diagnose yet,” said Dr. Pendleton.
Despite some frustrations, Dr. Pendleton said the technology has improved his workflow and client communication:
“For workflow and for client communications, it’s excellent… It has summarized some very complex cases and just really nailed them,” Dr. Pendleton added.
The AI listens to the exam, filters out small talk, and organizes medical details:
“I could say, ‘your heart’s normal,’ we can talk, and then I could say, ‘no arthritis.’ It ignores everything in between. So it’s pretty fascinating,” Dr. Pendleton said.
Dr. Pendleton demonstrated how a typical patient exam using AI works with a pretty, spotted girl named Violet, who belongs to RNN News Director Karen Fatula. Violet the Dalmatian’s appointment was for a yearly exam and booster shots. As Pendleton began the exam he pushed the record button on the AI Scribble app and we were underway. As we talked casually about Violet, Pendleton noted that the Scribble AI was “smart enough” to ignore casual conversation and focus on the medical exam and terminology. Violet passed the exam with flying colors and is in excellent health, according to Dr. Pendleton.
After he completed the exam, Dr. Pendleton pressed another button on the Scribble app for a summary called a Care Card that each owner receives written in everyday, layman’s language to explain the pet’s health condition and any medications needed. He reviews every record for accuracy before approving it for a Care Card.
Dr. Pendleton explained that “It summarizes it and I can print you out a summary or email you a summary… so you don’t have to remember, ‘what did he say about this drug?’”
Clients and shelters have welcomed the tool:
“People think it’s pretty cool. We think it’s pretty cool. It’s really great for the Humane Society because we can just print out a summary and then all their volunteers know exactly what we said,” Dr. Pendleton added.
Dr. Pendleton stressed that the AI is useful but imperfect:
“It’s not a hundred percent… the last one I did, it nailed everything. The one before that, it totally missed the heart murmur.”
Pendleton sees AI as promising for improving outcomes:
“Like every other large AI, the more people that use it, the better it gets… I foresee within a year we’ll be able to whip out a differential diagnosis list and it will give you next steps.”
But trust will be key in how the vet uses the AI:
“You have to believe it,” Dr. Pendleton said.
Violet’s visit to Dr. Pendleton was quick and thorough, and the AI made it more efficient. Violet likes visiting the vet, but for pets who become anxious for medical exams, the AI can speed up the visit and cause less stress.
Dr. Pendleton and the staff at Heritage Veterinary Care are excellent practitioners and now they are bringing the new AI technology to the Ohio Valley to better care for pets and educate their owners.
Visit the Heritage Veterinary Care website for more information.
