How Our Digital Solution is Helping Animal Care
This is the statement that SpecialVet is rolling up its sleeves to address the veterinary sector in Portugal is facing a communication gap between clinics and veterinarians, contributing to slow service scheduling. Clinics often depend on a small network of veterinarians they know personally, leading to limitations in finding the right professional at the right time.
Mediaweb studied the current process to identify how digital solutions could bridge this gap. The current manual process of calling individual vets to check availability often leads to uncertainty and delays in securing the necessary care. In emergency cases, this process can compromise the treatment, potentially worsening the animal’s condition.
Too many calls distract vets from core work
Delays in care due to reliance on familiar vets
Limited access to a broader network of vets
Missed opportunities for new or lesser-known vets
Slow results sharing delays key decisions
1. Let’s Talk with People
We began with a 3-week Discovery phase where we conducted user interviews and held workshops to understand key use cases and the necessary features for the app. We also used UX exercises to organize the data and plan the product’s navigation map and user flows. This phase helped us get a clear picture of the app’s requirements and laid the foundation for a structured development plan.
2. Make Ideas Visual
As part of the planning process, we created low-fidelity wireframes to sketch out the initial ideas for the product. This allowed us to visualize the core features and quickly make changes without using much time. These wireframes were crucial in planning the flows for use cases like onboarding, booking a service, and more. By seeing these ideas in a visual format, we gained more certainty about the product’s direction, and that we are investing in the right features from the start.
3. Give colors to the product
With a solid plan in place, we design all the screens in to an intereactive prototype to provide a realistic view of the product. This helped us validate the user experience and anticipate potential issues that might arise during development. In this phase, we focused on building the UI (User Interface), ensuring accessibility standards were met to provide an inclusive experience for all users.
4. Build, Test and Lauch, Build, Test and Launch Again
We organized the development into sprints of 2–3 weeks, allowing us to launch smaller parts of features incrementally. This approach enabled us to develop and test continuously, reducing the number of bugs and speeding up the overall development process. Instead of waiting for a final version to be completed, we iterated and refined along the way.
1. Smart Scheduling System
We simplified scheduling to just a few clicks. Our smart system suggests available veterinarians to CAMV’s based on location and the specific treatment required. This removes the need for time-consuming phone calls and speeds up coordination.
2. Profile Matching
CAMV’s were often limited to contacting veterinarians they already knew, lacking access to a broader network. Have detailed profiles showing their specialties, experience, and availability. CAMV’s can easily find the right professional in their area, while specialized veterinarians gain visibility without needing to self-promote.
3. Sharing Real-Time Results
Previously, CAMV’s had to call the specialized veterinarians to follow up on results. A feature was added to allow upload of reports and service notes directly to the system. CAMV’s are now instantly notified when new information is available, eliminating the need for back-and-forth communication and enabling faster clinical decisions.
