PetDocsOnCall

1. PetDocsOnCall.com Staff Veterinarian Training Manual

2. Contents • Overall Goals • Posting and replying at PetDocsOnCall • User Control Panel • Signature Blocks and Avatars • Efficiency Aids • New Posts • Subscribe to threads and/or forums

3. Overall Goals • PetDocsOnCall.com was conceived to help address several concerns: • Fight the abundance of misinformation about pet health so common on the Internet • Promote the veterinarian as the true “animal expert” • Provide a needed source of revenue for VNN, insuring our journalistic/financial independence. • Create method allowing VNN reporters to “give back” to VNN.

4. Registered users at PetDocsOnCall (and our partner site, MedHelp.org) post questions relating to their pet’s health and behavior for a small fee. • Staff DVMs answer questions using media-savvy techniques, good client relations skills and empathy towards pets and owners. • Fee supports VNN generated resources for reporters to use in their local media.

5. Original posting • In the original post, or question, you will often find information referring to the signalment of the pet and the condition. • Many posters use their own made up “shorthand” similar to text message shorthand in writing posts. • Your administrators will attempt to clarify those posts as necessary

6. Example post (Figure #1) Post Reply Button Original poster

7. Original Posting • In Figure 1 you can see the layout of a typical posting. • Above the original post, to the left, is a button for “Post reply”. Click this button to start your answer. • In Figure 2, you will see the reply box along with

8. Reply to Poster (Figure #2) Emoticons Type your reply here Preview reply Submit reply

9. Replying to postings • You will notice above the content box that there are buttons for editing fonts, size, type color, etc. These can help you highlight specific concerns or ideas within your answer. • Beyond editing type you can also: • Add links to specific articles or websites that might be helpful • Add attachments or images that might help clarify your answer.

10. Replying to postings • As mentioned, your media training will come in handy in answering questions. • Try to stay positive; compliment the poster if possible on their pet. Empathize with their concerns. • Be supportive of their actions to date and always try to reinforce the primary DVM relationship.

11. Finalizing your answer • Before submitting your reply, consider using the “Preview Post” button (see Fig 2). • With this, you can review your answer before posting looking for: • Mis-spellings • Ease of readability (is your answer in one large block of text or broken up into easily read blocks?)

12. Submitted Answer (Figure #3) Avatar Signature block

13. Signature Blocks • As you can see in Figure 3, a signature block has been added for your convenience. Below this block is the required disclaimer. • Please don’t edit or remove the disclaimer. We would like to see your name and degree(s) in the signature block, along with your location. It is up to your discretion about adding phone numbers, addresses, websites, etc.

14. Main Forum Page (Figure #4) New Posts Button User Control Panel Button

15. User Control Panel (Figure #5) Edit signature block and/or avatar here

16. Signature Blocks Signature blocks are added to your reply so that you don’t have to “sign” each posting. We have added a block for you but they can be edited on this screen. Please don’t remove or edit the professional disclaimer below your signature block.

17. Avatars Avatars are small pictures or graphics that accompany each of your postings. If you need help developing an avatar (your picture or hospital logo), please email Dr. Jim or Tom.

18. Efficiency Aids • We know that you are all busy practitioners and often will not have time to routinely log in and check for new postings. • By using the New Posts Button and the forum/thread subscriptions, you can see quickly which posts need answered. • For the location of the New Posts button, please review Figure #4

19. New Posts Any postings that are new since your last log in will be in bold type.

20. Subscribe to Forum You can receive daily or weekly email updates for individual forums by clicking on the Forum Tools Button and choosing Subscribe to this Forum. You will be given an option of weekly or daily updates on the next page.

21. Forum Tools (Figure #6) Forum Tools box

22. Thread Tools (Figure #7) Thread Tools box

23. Thread Tools This is similar to the forum subscription, but may be useful if you have asked the poster to follow up with another answer. Again, weekly and daily email alerts are available.

24. Unsubscribe to forums/threads You can unsubscribe to any forums or threads by clicking on the User CP button and then clicking “unsubscribe” in any forum you wish to stop following.