Studies across healthcare consistently show that clinicians spend 25–35% of their working hours on documentation. In veterinary medicine, that often means:
People speak approximately 150 words per minute, but type only about 40 words per minute. This disparity means that traditional typing methods create a significant bottleneck in daily operations.
AI dictation (voice-to-text) software is designed to address that friction.
AI dictation software uses advanced speech recognition algorithms to convert spoken words into accurate text in real-time.
These systems are trained on veterinary-specific terminology, understanding complex medical terms, drug names, and anatomical references that general speech recognition tools would miss. When a veterinarian says “TPR,” the software knows to document temperature, pulse, and respiration rather than transcribing random letters.
The process is remarkably simple. Veterinarians activate the dictation feature, speak naturally about the patient encounter, and watch as their words transform into properly formatted text.
Veterinarians are trained to observe, assess, explain, and plan verbally. Dictation aligns naturally with that cognitive flow.
Rather than breaking eye contact to type, clinicians can:
The result is richer, more complete records — created with less effort.
Time savings are one of the most consistently reported benefits of AI dictation. Brian Bernatzky, Hospital Manager at Paumanok Veterinary Hospital, explains:
With Tails AI Dictation, our veterinarians are saving approximately eight minutes per SOAP note. That translates into more than 10 hours per week per DVM.
When documentation no longer spills into evenings or lunch breaks, that reclaimed time can be reinvested where it matters most: patient care, client communication, or simply leaving the clinic on time.
Typing speed, fatigue, and interruptions all affect documentation quality. Dictation helps standardize records by:
Many veterinarians report feeling more confident that their records truly reflect the care they delivered — regardless of how busy the schedule gets.
Burnout in veterinary medicine isn’t caused by patient care — it’s caused by everything wrapped around it.
AI dictation reduces:
That reduction in cognitive load is subtle but powerful. Clinicians report feeling more present during appointments and less drained at the end of the day.
Understanding the benefits of AI dictation is one thing. Seeing how it works in practice is another. Let’s move beyond the theory and walk through how a tool like Tails AI, which is built directly into the Digitail PIMS, transforms a typical appointment from start to finish.
In practice, documentation doesn’t stop at the SOAP. That’s where dictation becomes even more valuable:
Veterinarians can verbally note treatments, procedures, or findings as they happen, reducing missed charges and ensuring invoices accurately reflect the care provided.
During dental procedures, clinicians can dictate findings directly into chart fields — no gloves off, no keyboard interaction.
After a phone call or client discussion, veterinarians can dictate the conversation and let Tails generate a clear, structured summary. Tone and length can be adjusted before saving or sending.
Short messages to pet parents can be dictated directly in chat, saving time while maintaining a personal touch.
What ties all these use cases together is a simple principle: dictation should fit veterinarians’ existing workflows, not force them to change.
Tails AI achieves this by:
✓ Being available everywhere: Quick SOAP, individual record fields, phone calls, dental charts, client communications
✓ Working on any device: Desktop, mobile, tablet—with cloud synchronization across all of them
✓ Requiring no special equipment: Any microphone works; background noise is filtered automatically
✓ Saving work automatically: No lost data if you’re interrupted or need to switch patients
✓ Learning continuously: The more you use it, the better it understands your practice’s terminology and patterns
The result is documentation that happens naturally, in real time, as part of patient care—not as a separate task that steals time and energy at the end of the day.
The true measure of any technology isn’t its features but its impact on the people who use it every day. For practices that have embraced AI dictation, the results go far beyond simple efficiency gains. They represent a fundamental improvement in the quality of the workday.
For Dr. Michelle Woodruff, owner of Woodruff Veterinary Services, the biggest change is the ability to deliver the same high standard of care, regardless of the day’s pressures:
I’m consistently the same doctor whether I’m tired or not. Tails dictation helps me maintain that consistency.
Dr. Woodruff’s experience highlights how AI tools can directly combat the cognitive fatigue that leads to burnout. By offloading the mental energy of documentation, she can focus on her patients and clients. Read the full story to learn more about how Dr. Woodruff integrated AI to reduce stress and modernize her practice.
For practice managers, the benefits are just as clear. Brian Bernatzky, Hospital Manager at Paumanok Veterinary Hospital, notes that the time savings are just the beginning:
The immediate benefit is obviously the time savings, but the ripple effects of that time saving have, in many cases, are hard to quantify.
Those ripple effects are the real ROI: improved morale, better work-life balance, and a team that feels supported by its tools, not burdened by them. It’s the difference between a team that leaves on time and one that stays late, night after night, to finish charts.
Schedule a demo to see how Tails AI can save your team 10+ hours a week and help you leave the clinic on time.
