A WORD ABOUT The INTERNET!

Do you use the net to find pet information? So do we!

Did your old vet's eyes glaze over when you mentioned something you found  on the net? Not at Hollyoak! Our entire staff is internet-savvy and as a practice we probably use the net more than anyone else.

Yes, we understand there are some websites that 'spin ailments' so you buy their products. But the net is a fabulous resource for us. We subscribe to a number of vet-only information services in Europe and the United States. It's an interactive library at our fingertips when difficult cases present themselves. It also gives us access to veterinary specialists that would normally require expensive referrals and travel for our patients and clients.

LINKING TO EXPERTS

Because our lab equipment is tied directly to our computer system, we can e-mail complete histories, test results, X-ray and ultrasound images, ECG traces, microscope slides, digital photos and any other pertinent information to specialists for immediate analysis. Our computers are also set up to work with outside specialists using realtime video conferencing - a feature that will further expand our capabilities in the near future.

DEDICATED TO NET USE

At Hollyoak veterinary surgery, we are very dedicated to the use of the internet to help us provide the very best care to our patients at the lowest possible cost to their owners. So don't be afraid of telling us what you found on the net. In fact, if you have a favourite animal health website, please tell us about it in an email.

And, of course, our committment to internet means trying to provide the most informative and useful website we can.  We are actively working with other providers of veterinary information to build the next generation animal information systems for public access.

We value your feedback and ideas and appreciate your patience if certain parts of our website are not yet available.  Check back often - there's a lot more coming!

OUR OWN INTRANET - A Step Beyond

We are also developing our own intranet (intrAnet works like intErnet, but is accessable only on the Hollyoak computer system and not available outside the practice). It has everything from emergency protocols, to equipment operating manuals and internal e-mail. It also contains reference volumes and other CPD (continuing professional development) materials for staff training.

OUR COMPUTER SYSTEM

Over the years we've had a lot of bad experience with Veterinary management systems at other practices. At one veterinary group, their computers often malfunctioned several times a day! That caused enormous problems for the staff and created equally enormous bills from the computer maintenance people which, of course, was passed onto their clients in the form of higher fees. So, when we set up Hollyoak we paid particular attention to this aspect of the practice.

We decided to build a system that was not only super-reliable but one that could be maintained by our own clinical staff! That's right ... nurses, vets and receptionists can all perform 99% of all computer maintenance! All of the data is backed up automatically at least once every 24 hours, and no part of the system is so critical that equipment failures prevent the rest of the system from functioning normally. For your security, we never put any credit or debit card information on our computer system!