How Do I Quickly Review a Pet's Medical History Before an Appointment?

The approach depends heavily on whether you're seeing a returning patient or a new patient/referral case.

For Returning Patients

Most vets develop a quick review routine:

• Check the last 3-5 visits — Scan recent SOAP notes for current problems and treatment plans
• Review the active problem list — If your PMS maintains one, this is the fastest way to get oriented
• Check current medications — Verify what the patient is currently taking and if any refills are due
• Glance at recent lab work — Note any abnormalities or trends that need follow-up
• Read the reason for today's visit — The intake notes or appointment reason set context for what to focus on

This quick scan typically takes 2-5 minutes for a returning patient with a straightforward history.

For New Patients & Referral Cases

This is where it gets challenging. You may have a 50-200 page PDF to review with no prior familiarity with the patient. Strategies include:

• Start with the referral letter — If one exists, it provides the referring vet's summary and specific questions
• Scan the most recent visits first — Work backward to understand the current clinical situation
• Look for summary or discharge documents — Previous hospitalizations often have discharge summaries that provide good overviews
• Use an AI summarizer — Upload the PDF to VetRecap AI and get a 1-page executive summary in about 2 minutes

The AI approach is the fastest—it generates a structured overview that highlights the most important clinical information, then you can review specific sections of the full record as needed during or after the appointment.