How will veterinarians be able to use the technology of the future to improve animal care?

A diverse group of thinkers tackled this topic during a recent Digital Animal Health Summit.

The “thinkathon” was organized by the University of Guelph’s Theresa Bernardo, who holds the IDEXX Chair in Emerging Technologies and Bond Centered Animal Healthcare, and her team at the Ontario Veterinary College.

The event brought together a cross-disciplinary network of experts to create a vision for animal health care.

“We asked them to think about how we can apply some of the advances in data science and other emerging technologies like social media to engage the public in keeping animals healthy,” said Bernardo.

The event was held at the IDEXX Laboratories headquarters in Portland, Maine. IDEXX is a multinational corporation that produces diagnostic and information technology-based products and services for the veterinary industry.

Participants included U of G faculty and students, and experts in marketing, medical science, digital health, visual storytelling, health mapping, infectious diseases, and data and information analysis.

The focus was on using big data and communications solutions to diagnose and treat unhealthy animals, while promoting wellness and preventive care in healthy individuals, Bernardo said.

Key themes included pet wellness as part of the human family, using advances in artificial intelligence to enhance diagnoses, and integrating data from multiple sources for health surveillance.

“This conference not only brought together an innovative group of thought-leaders, but it’s provided the base for a network of experts to begin to move these ideas into action,” said Bernardo.