Vet Scene Down Under: Veterinarian builds clinical software

With documentation burden one of the real and unglamorous drivers of burnout in the veterinary profession, veterinarian Dallas McMillan BVSc, BSc(Vet) built VetSorcery, a clinical software for practitioners focused on a patient’s problem-oriented medical record that aims to save clinicians valuable time in their day.

"So much of the job is now record keeping, so if we can streamline that to give clinicians back even 30 minutes a day, that's a big impact. VetSorcery came about from frustration with how little of the information you captured at the examination table could actually be tracked in the clinical record," McMillan told dvm360.

“The software I was using didn't reflect how I was reasoning about a case. Problems, differentials, plans, rechecks—the structure was in my head and on paper, but the software wanted me to fill in billing-shaped forms. I wanted something fast, adaptable, and actually useful during the consultation or procedure, not just at the front counter,” he added.

At the core of VetSorcery is a problem-oriented record, with each patient’s active and resolved problems linked to their diagnostics, treatments, and recheck schedule. “The VetSorcery software is built around 2 ideas that most current practice management software platforms have drifted away from: the problem-oriented medical record, and genuine vitals tracking. Everything else—voice input, AI [artificial intelligence]-assisted notes, Bluetooth and network device integration, third-party extensibility—sits on top of that clinical spine,” McMillan said.

“So for example, if a veterinarian finishes examining a limping dog, hits record, and talks through the findings the way they'd talk to a colleague, the system turns that into a proper SOAP entry linked to a ‘left hind lameness’ problem, with a recheck flagged. The veterinarian spends the saved time on the next patient, or on getting home at a reasonable hour,” he noted.

VetSorcery is designed to work with the major voice AI platforms that veterinary clinicians are already adopting, with flexibility for it to be used in different ways. “The integration layer of VetSorcery is open and documented on our public Git—a storage space that is accessible to anyone on the internet, so clinics aren't locked to any single provider. VetSorcery is also designed to accept input from Bluetooth and networked clinical devices through open protocols rather than a single vendor's ecosystem,” said McMillan.

“It also incorporates extensibility by way of a public software development kit, so that clinics or developers can build what they need, rather than waiting on someone else's roadmap. What I’d also like to see evolve with VetSorcery is for voice-first notetaking to become the default, not a novelty. And for clinics to be able to extend their software and plug in whichever AI and device tools suit them, and for structured clinical data to become usable for outcome tracking, audit, and research - without the need for double data entry,” he added.

During his 25-year career in practice, McMillan has enjoyed embracing new technologies and learned his way around coding, web development and app development whilst building software, websites and businesses. “VetSorcery is where those 2 threads finally meet: a veterinarian building clinical software for veterinarians, because the medical record never quite worked the way I was actually reasoning about cases. What makes my work satisfying is building tools for colleagues I respect—when a veterinarian says they got home earlier because of something I made, that lands in a way nothing else in my career has,” shared McMillan.

“The other is the technical puzzle itself. There has never been an easier time to improve your clinical records and streamline your workflow. But there are real challenges. Voice AI that has to work reliably in a noisy consult room, device integrations across a dozen manufacturers, whole treatment-plan workflows driven from a single dictated consult - these are genuinely hard problems, and solving them to help improve clinical service delivery is the most engaged I've been in years.”

Veterinary nurse advocacy

The Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA) has launched a new Advocacy Hub on their website to showcase advocacy work supporting veterinary nurses and technologists across Australia. The VNCA engages with government, regulatory authorities, and key stakeholders in the animal health industries to advocate and influence policies and industry standards that impact the veterinary profession.

The Advocacy Hub contains current advocacy initiatives, VNCA submissions and position papers, stakeholder engagement activities, and published reports and advocacy outcomes. Visit the hu online: https://www.vnca.asn.au/the-vnca/advocacy/