Petriage: Telemedicine Using Artificial Intelligence
This is the fourth in my series on “telemedicine is coming to the vets” posted on the VetPartners website.
One of my colleague at VetPartners, Mark Stephenson, DVM, Chief Veterinary Officer of LifeLearn, told me about a product that LifeLearn distributes to enhance its services. It is called Petriage (https://petriage.com)
Artificial Intelligence
What is unique about this product is that it uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), meaning that itsimulates human intelligence using computers. AI typically includes natural language processing and speech recognition.
I was curious about how this product came about, so Mark put me in touch with Petriage co-founder and CEO, Allon Freiman. Through Allon, I learned that the birth of Petriage, about five years ago, was the result of a concern voiced by Casey Olives, a family friend with a PhD in Biostatistics from Harvard. It seems that one Friday evening, Casey’s two-year-old Labrador suffered what seemed to be a mild seizure. Since his veterinarian, Dr. Shlomo Frieman, was also a personal friend, he reached out to him after hours. Dr. Frieman interviewed Casey and concluded that the episode wasn’t as serious as feared. He advised Casey to skip the ER and bring his dog in to the vet the next morning. Not only was Casey relieved but he also saved the cost of an emergency animal hospital visit.
That experience drove Casey, Dr. Frieman, and Allon Frieman to develop the Petriage app and found the company.
How does it work?
As a data scientist, Casey understood AI, and with Dr. Frieman’s knowledge of veterinary medicine, they were able to create a remote triage system that analyzes common symptoms to determine a sick pet’s level of urgency.
After a 90-second survey, the pet owner receives one of five possible conclusions: (1) this is an emergency that requires immediate attention; (2) this is a condition which needs attention, but you can wait to see your veterinarian in the next day; (3) this is a common ailment and can be addressed by ABC; (4) this is an issue that will take care of itself, so don’t worry; or (5) more information is needed; please contact your vet for further analysis.
Petriage is “thinking” like the veterinarian, reviewing the myriad of complaints. What is more, because there is a machine learning component, Petriage is continuing to “learn” and will have richer and richer data to draw upon with each additional app use.
Brick and Click
Dr. Frieman said that in addition to the product enabling him to engage with his clients after hours, he also found that Petriage provides a way to expand the reach of the veterinary clinic into the living room of the pet owner. He likes to call this “brick and click,” noting that the clinic will always be necessary but online advice makes him available at a time and place convenient to his clients.
Full Circle of Care
Mark pointed out that there are three processes that enable the veterinary practice to serve their pet owners through the use of Petriage.
First, the AI-based interview brings peace of mind to the pet owner when used after hours. When the client comes into the clinic during the day, the interview is used as an intake form, providing valuable information right up front. Ultimately, of course, when the veterinarian sees the pets, she will determine the accuracy of the teletriage recommendation (which research says is 95 percent of the time).
Second, Petriage enables an e-consultation, including online text, images, videos or a full video conference session. What’s more, all of the information is captured in the client’s electronic record.
Third, this platform enables a post-hospitalization monitoring process so the veterinarian can stay in touch with the client and pet at home – again using text, images, and videos.
It’s Easy
Pet owner Erica Becker said that she found it much easier to communication with her vet using Petriage. She recalled using Petriage to connect with her vet about her little dog’s gastrointestinal problems.
“It was simple”, she said. “I just logged in and described my dog’s symptoms.” An alert went to the veterinarian and she immediately got back a query about how the dog’s gums looked.” She was then asked to snap a photo and upload it. She liked the fact that in addition to being guided through a series of questions, she was also able to type her own message. “It was easy,” she said.
That seems to sum it up! Easy to use, with sophisticated technology bringing client and veterinarian full circle.
Vets who are interested in getting their practices on the Petriiage platform can learn more by visiting www.lifelearn.com/clinics/products/petriage and booking a demo.
