Starting a mobile practice is an exciting venture, but it comes with many important decisions to make—including which veterinary equipment to invest in.
Here are a few considerations for choosing equipment to help your mobile practice operate smoothly…
Patients and Services
The types (and sizes) of patients you see will be a big determining factor in terms of which equipment you need. This is also true of the types of services you provide. For example, will you be seeing horses and taking radiographs? Will you primarily be seeing small animals for wellness? Or will you have a hospice practice?
There are many options for what a mobile veterinary practice can look like. Envisioning it is the first step to determining what your practice requires in order to operate.
Regulatory and Safety Requirements
Look into any minimum requirements from your state veterinary board in terms of services to provide and equipment needed to provide those services.
Also consider safety regulations and best practices, especially for equipment like veterinary portable digital x-ray generators that will be used in the field rather than in a dedicated x-ray suite.
Brick-and-Mortar Availability
Is your mobile practice an add-on to your brick-and-mortar practice? If it’s a stand-alone business, is it possible to develop a relationship with a local practice for services such as radiographs?
Some practices might allow a mobile practitioner they trust to use their equipment for a fee. This isn’t always an option, and it’s certainly not a necessity for mobile practitioners who aren’t interested in this type of arrangement. However, the availability of equipment from a neighboring practice can be a win-win situation for both the mobile practitioner and the free-standing clinic—especially for newer mobile practices with a limited equipment budget and limited space. So, it might be worth looking into.
Mode of Transportation
Some mobile practices have a fully decked out practice van with all the bells and whistles. Others might simply carry their equipment in a standard vehicle for house calls or farm calls.
Either option (and many options in between these two examples) can work, depending on personal preference, local regulations, budget, and other factors. The point is, it’s important to think about the space you can utilize and what the transport conditions are like.
A large, climate-controlled mobile practice van might have enough space to safely store all types of equipment. A car might have limited space. And a truck might have plenty of room in the bed, but the equipment must be able to withstand temperature extremes.
Exposure to the Elements
For house call or farm call practices that must remove their equipment from the vehicle, exposure to the elements is an important consideration. A short walk from the car to a house for small animal practitioners might not be a huge deal. On the other hand, a long walk to a barn in snow, rain, or hot weather might be a true test of the equipment’s durability. Also, keep in mind dust, humidity, and bumps along the road.
Again, consider your unique situation to decide how durable your equipment needs to be, and how best to protect your investments.
Lightweight or Portable Equipment
If equipment must be carried or transported from the vehicle to the patient, consider how to do this most comfortably. Plan ahead to avoid exhaustion, back injuries, or other equipment-carrying issues. Equipment that is easy to carry is also less likely to be dropped.
Lightweight equipment is a plus, whenever it is still of excellent quality. Explore equipment that is designed to be portable.
Power Supplies
This might be more of a concern for farm calls or remote communities. But it is important to think about your equipment’s power supply and how you will keep it powered up throughout the workday.
A power cord is one option if you know the places you visit will have an electrical supply. Batteries are a convenient choice for more remote areas. Batteries are also a good option just for house calls to avoid being bothered with finding a plug or the possibility of someone tripping over or damaging a cord.
However, batteries have a limited lifespan, so you might need backups or recharging devices to take along in the vehicle. Batteries can also add weight to portable equipment.
Wi-Fi Connectivity
Nowadays, a lot of veterinary equipment connects to online software and practice management systems. If you’re away from reliable Wi-Fi connectivity, this might impact how your equipment functions and your ability to save images or other data. Consider having a wired connection, a reliable mobile network, or equipment that can be used without the internet as a backup.
Equipment is an important investment for any veterinary practice—and mobile practices are no exception.
Thinking about all of these factors can help mobile veterinary practice owner visualize their day-to-day operations and select the equipment that works best for them and makes their daily practice life easier.
Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM
