Veterinary practice owners can use artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, support clinical decisions, and reduce administrative work, but they remain responsible for how those tools affect patient care and business operations. Before adopting AI, owners should establish safeguards for accuracy, client communication, medical records, privacy, and staff use.
As a veterinary attorney and co-owner of a multi-doctor animal hospital, Tony Mahan views AI from both sides of practice ownership. The technology may be new, but the core management question is familiar: Does the practice have a sound process for evaluating a tool, controlling its use, and responding when something goes wrong?
Who Is Responsible When a Veterinary Practice Uses AI?
AI can assist with radiograph interpretation, generate possible diagnoses, summarize appointments, draft client instructions, or automate scheduling. It should not replace the veterinarian’s independent judgment.
If an AI-generated recommendation contributes to a missed diagnosis or inappropriate treatment, pointing to the software may not shield the veterinarian or practice from a licensing complaint or liability claim. Practice owners should understand what the vendor promises, whether the tool has been independently validated, and what limitations apply to its intended use.
Vendor contracts deserve careful review. Pay particular attention to warranties, responsibility for claims, liability limits, data ownership, security breaches, and access to records after the agreement ends.
Should Clients Be Told When AI Is Used?
The answer may depend on what the technology does. A chatbot that confirms an appointment presents different concerns than software that interprets an image or influences a treatment recommendation.
When AI plays a meaningful role in clinical decision-making, transparency may support informed consent and help clients understand the basis for a recommendation. The conversation should explain the tool’s function and limitations without suggesting that its output is infallible.
Practices should also decide how AI use will be documented. A consent form alone cannot replace a meaningful discussion when the risks, benefits, alternatives, or cost of care require explanation.
S.O.A.P Method: Example
We know a lot of our clients prioritize using the SOAP model to accurately and efficiently treat their patients to ensure the best possible care from start to finish. AI can be a proactive tool in that process—whether that’s helping chart information, recording patient symptoms, or researching diagnoses the doctor is already considering. Nonetheless, AI can be used as a valuable tool but is only a gateway. Premium care still comes from you.
Can AI Create or Edit Veterinary Medical Records?
AI scribes and documentation tools may save time, but the veterinarian must verify what enters the record. AI-generated notes can omit facts, confuse speakers, or add details that were never discussed.
State veterinary laws generally govern what records must contain, when they must be completed, and how they may be stored or corrected. For example, Kentucky’s standards for veterinary medical records require records to support the diagnosis, justify the care provided, document the agreed treatment plan, and promote continuity of care. Wherever your practice operates, every AI-assisted entry should be reviewed for accuracy, completeness, and proper attribution before it becomes part of the final record.
How Should Veterinary Practices Protect Client and Patient Data?
Veterinary records are generally not governed by HIPAA in the same way as human medical records. That does not make the information unrestricted. State veterinary-record confidentiality laws, data-security requirements, breach-notification laws, consumer-protection rules, and vendor contracts may affect how a practice can share information with an AI provider.
Practices should also consider applicable data privacy and security requirements before entering client or patient information into an AI tool.
Before sharing data with an AI provider, ask:
- What information does the tool collect and retain?
- Is practice data used to train the provider’s models?
- Where is the information stored, and who can access it?
- Can the practice retrieve or delete its data?
- What happens after a security breach or contract termination?
Using anonymized information may reduce some risks, but removing names alone does not always prevent a client or patient from being identified.
What Should an AI Use Policy Cover?
Without a written policy, employees may enter records, client complaints, personnel information, or business documents into consumer AI platforms without management knowing. Practice owners may incorporate these rules into an existing employee handbook or adopt a separate AI use policy.
The policy should identify approved tools and permitted uses, prohibit unauthorized data entry, and require human review of all clinical and client-facing content.
Training should include how to recognize fabricated or biased output, report mistakes, and escalate uncertain results. Owners should revisit the policy as tools, vendor terms, and professional guidance change.
Build AI Into Your Practice Deliberately
AI can be valuable when it supports good veterinary judgment and disciplined business practices. Before adopting a new system, review how it handles data, affects client communication, creates records, and allocates responsibility.
Mahan Law brings firsthand practice ownership experience to the legal and business issues veterinary owners face. Contact us to discuss AI policies, vendor agreements, consent procedures, or other aspects of veterinary practice consulting.