Brace yourself: A tool you can borrow from orthodontists

Does that old crusty bulletin board in the hallway of your clinic spark joy? We’re guessing ... not. And yet, it’s a primary client communication tool inside your practice walls—when they’re perhaps at their most open to receiving your messages.

Here to shake things up is Montage, an interactive display system by Solutions By Design, allowing veterinary practices to go the distance with client education, clinical displays, and practice marketing and branding.

William Poss, president of the company, recalls how the Montage idea—originally developed for human orthodontic clinics—spread to veterinary medicine. By happenstance, Poss’ own veterinarian (and close friend) was in the Solutions By Design office and remarked on how much a product like this was needed in vet med. Poss realized she was right.

“It’s a way better fit for the veterinary world, because there’s more education and so many more topics to cover in animal health than just teeth,” he says.

So what exactly can this technology do for you? In vet practices, Montage can be used in a number of ways. In the reception area, a touch-screen monitor encourages clients to interact with the many educational and informational widgets. And in the exam room, a wall-mounted display can be used for client education and clinical case presentations.

Poss says the most popular feature among veterinarians is the clinical case presentation. “There’s a whole library of anatomically correct illustrations,” he says. “These are cool because the doctor can draw with their fingers, make diagrams and notes on the board and then email or text [the image] instantly.” Product sheets, notes and any other illustrations or drawings can also go straight from Montage’s board to phone or email.