Tools and Strategies

The key strategy for keeping abreast of innovations in the veterinary space is, ultimately, to be deeply curious about the subject. There are a few specific tools that may help you better fuel your curiosity — read on for more.

1. RSS Feeds and Readers

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a great tool that is often used to aggregate updates from different sites into one place.

RSS feeds display new content from sources that you choose to follow, in reverse chronological order (the newest information first). Social media feeds, on the other hand, are algorithmically driven to display content that the service judges to be what you want to see and has the most social engagement, meaning that you may not actually get to see the content you really want to see.

There are a number of readers you can use to view the aggregated RSS content in one spot, with Feedly being a popular option.

2. Google Alerts

Alerts from the tech giant are also an option. You can get an alert when certain keywords — which you can choose on your own — are detected online within the Google network. For example, you can enter a key term such as "veterinary innovation" and then when content with that specific key phrase is created, you will receive an alert via email.

Sources of Information

As we live in an ever-changing digital world, it's become clear that the one place where we can access information on what is happening in the veterinary technology space is online. All of the knowledge that you could possibly wish to learn is available right at your fingertips — although there are still some useful offline sources that not only add to the sum of our information but can also be fun experiences.

1. Online Resources

There is an entire internet's worth of websites out there and scores of online resources, from academic institutions and industry pages to blogs. Using RSS is a great way of easily aggregating information from those sites that you discover and find interesting yourself. Consider the following:

• Veterinary Information Network

• MIT Technology Review

• Wired Magazine

• Google Scholar

2. Podcasts

There are a healthy number of podcasts that cater to technology more generally. And while there are fewer veterinary-specific podcasts that focus on the topic of technology, one option might be the "Veterinary Innovation Podcast," in which leaders and innovators within the veterinary space discuss the industry as a whole.

3. Conferences

There are several conferences to choose from, both tech- and veterinary-focused, with most currently running online programs this year and an expected return to in-person meetings in 2022. While many of the veterinary conferences focus on clinical streams, quite a few do now offer talks and sessions on topics that illuminate innovation within the profession. One specifically focused on innovation in the industry is the Veterinary Innovation Summit + NAVC Media eCommerce Summit on August 27-29, 2021.

There are many other potential sources of information, from documentaries to books to courses, that shed new light on the fascinating topic of technology and outline how the veterinary field could benefit.

4. Courses

Whether they're online or in person, courses can provide a more hands-on approach to learning about technology advancements within the veterinary industry. Some options include:

• Elements of AI: Elements of AI is free to sign up, and it's run by the University of Helsinki.
• Udemy: Udemy offers a range of online courses on several technology-focused themes. Learning some basic coding through one of their programs is a great way of engaging with technology and coming to grips with many of the fundamentals of, for example, how the internet and websites actually work.

No matter where you look for information on what's new and improving throughout the veterinary space, stay curious — and be sure to share your learnings with others.