Welcome to Paw & Care
Paw & Care is an AI-powered veterinary practice management platform that streamlines clinical workflows, automates documentation, and enhances patient care. This guide will walk you through creating your first patient record and generating your first SOAP note using AI voice dictation.This quickstart takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. By the end, you’ll have created a patient record and generated your first AI-powered clinical note.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:- A modern web browser (Chrome 100+, Safari 15+, Firefox 100+, or Edge 100+)
- Microphone access for voice dictation features
- Internet connection for AI features (offline mode available for viewing records)
Step 1: Access Your Dashboard
Navigate to your Paw & Care dashboard. You’ll see real-time practice metrics including:- Total clients and new clients today
- Calls handled by Luna (your AI assistant)
- Appointments scheduled
- Emergency triage events
Web App
Access the full-featured web application with advanced reporting and practice management.
iOS App
Download the mobile app for on-the-go clinical documentation and patient care.
Step 2: Create Your First Patient Record
Let’s create a patient record for a new pet.Navigate to Pet Records
Click “Patients” in the bottom navigation bar (mobile) or left sidebar (web).The Pet Records screen displays:
- Active pets count
- Pets with medical conditions
- Average patient age
- Search and filter capabilities
Add a New Pet
Click the “Add Pet” button in the top right corner.Fill in the patient information:
- Name: e.g., “Max”
- Species: Dog, Cat, Exotic, etc.
- Breed: e.g., “Golden Retriever”
- Age: Patient’s age in years
- Weight: In pounds
- Sex: Male/Female
- Color: Coat color
- Microchip ID: (optional)
Add Medical History
Complete the medical information:
- Known Conditions: Any chronic conditions (diabetes, arthritis, etc.)
- Allergies: Medication or food allergies
- Current Medications: Active prescriptions
- Diet Notes: Feeding instructions or dietary restrictions
Link to Owner
Select the pet owner from your client database or create a new client record:
- Owner Name: First and Last name
- Phone: Primary contact number
- Email: For appointment reminders
- Emergency Contact: Secondary contact information
Step 3: Create Your First SOAP Note
Now let’s generate a clinical note using AI-powered voice dictation.Open Dictation & SOAP
From the patient profile, tap “Dictation & SOAP” or navigate to “Dictate” in the bottom tab bar.You’ll see three input methods:
- Record: Voice dictation (recommended)
- Upload: Import audio files, PDFs, or images
- Type: Manual text entry
Select Patient and Template
At the top of the screen:
- Select Patient: Choose “Max” (the patient we just created)
- Select Template: Choose from built-in templates:
- Standard SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan)
- Dental SOAP (Canine/Feline dental procedures)
- Specialist SOAP (Advanced diagnostics)
- Surgery Report
- Radiograph Report
- Tech Appointment Note
Record Your Examination Findings
Click the microphone button to start recording.Example dictation:Recording controls:
Live Transcription: You’ll see real-time transcription appear as you speak using the browser’s Speech Recognition API.
- Pause: Temporarily stop recording
- Resume: Continue recording
- Stop: Finish recording (max 30 minutes)
- Play: Review your audio
- Discard: Delete and start over
Transcribe the Audio
Click “Transcribe” to convert speech to text.The system uses:
- Browser Speech API for instant results (if available)
- OpenAI Whisper for high-accuracy transcription (server-side fallback)
Review and Edit Transcription
The transcription appears in an editable text area.
- Review for accuracy (typically 95%+ accurate with clear speech)
- Edit any medical terms that were misrecognized
- Add additional details if needed
- Drug names (“Rimadyl” vs “rimadale”)
- Breed-specific terms (“Labrador” vs “lab radar”)
- Medical abbreviations (“BID” vs “bid”)
Generate AI SOAP Notes
Click “Generate SOAP Notes” to create structured documentation.The AI (GPT-4) will:
- Parse your transcription
- Identify relevant information for each SOAP section
- Generate structured notes within 30 seconds
- Subjective: Owner’s observations and patient history
- Objective: Physical exam findings and vitals
- Assessment: Diagnosis and differential diagnoses
- Plan: Treatment recommendations and follow-up
Review Clinical Insights
After SOAP generation, you’ll see AI-generated clinical insights in the sidebar:
- Risk Factors: Potential complications (e.g., “Diabetic ketoacidosis risk”)
- Diagnoses: Differential diagnoses (e.g., “Diabetes mellitus, Cushing’s disease”)
- Suggestions: Treatment recommendations (e.g., “Consider fructosamine test”)
- Confidence score: 60-100% (only shown if ≥60%)
- Priority: High, Medium, or Low
- Description: Detailed explanation
Save the Record
Click “Save as Draft” to store the SOAP note.Save options:
- Draft: Editable, not finalized
- Pending Review: Awaiting veterinarian approval
- Finalized: Locked, requires permissions to edit
- Supabase database (if configured)
- Local storage (fallback if offline)
All saves create an audit log entry with timestamp, user, and action for compliance tracking.
Step 4: Generate Billing Items (Optional)
Automatically extract billable items from your SOAP note.Click 'Generate Billing'
After saving your SOAP note, click the dollar sign icon to extract billing items.
Review Auto-Generated Items
The AI identifies billable services from your note:Example for Max’s visit:
- Office Visit / Examination: $65.00
- Blood Work Panel: $120.00
- Dental Cleaning: $250.00
- Item name
- Type: Service, Procedure, Medication, Lab Test, Imaging
- Quantity
- Unit cost
- Total
Step 5: Set Up Your AI Voice Assistant
Enable Luna, your 24/7 AI receptionist, to handle incoming calls.The AI Voice Assistant uses Retell AI to answer calls, triage emergencies, and book appointments autonomously.
How Luna Works
- Answers incoming calls with natural conversation
- Detects emergency keywords (bleeding, seizure, poisoning) and alerts veterinarian
- Books appointments by checking available time slots
- Transcribes calls for record-keeping
- Extracts triage data: pet name, symptoms, urgency level
Configuration (Web App Only)
Set Business Hours
Define when your clinic is open:
- Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Configure Emergency Keywords
Add custom emergency triggers for your practice:
- Bleeding
- Seizure
- Poisoning
- Difficulty breathing
- Trauma
Next Steps
Appointment Management
Learn how to schedule appointments, send automated reminders, and reduce no-shows by 40%.
Template Management
Create custom SOAP templates for your practice’s specific procedures and workflows.
Mobile App Features
Explore iOS-specific features like offline mode, haptic feedback, and Face ID authentication.
API Integration
Connect Paw & Care to your existing practice management tools via our REST API.
Key Metrics to Track
As you use Paw & Care, monitor these metrics on your dashboard:- Documentation Time: Aim for 70% reduction compared to manual typing
- SOAP Accuracy: Target 90%+ AI accuracy with minimal editing
- Call Automation Rate: Luna should handle 80%+ routine calls without intervention
- No-Show Rate: Automated reminders reduce no-shows by 40%
- Emergency Response: Luna escalates emergencies in < 5 seconds
Troubleshooting
Microphone not working
Microphone not working
Solution: Grant microphone permissions in your browser settings:
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Site Settings → Microphone
- Safari: Safari → Settings → Websites → Microphone
- iOS: Settings → Privacy → Microphone → Paw & Care
Transcription failed
Transcription failed
Causes:
- Backend server not running (
npm run dev:server) - Network connectivity issues
- Audio quality too low
SOAP generation taking too long
SOAP generation taking too long
Normal processing time: 20-30 secondsIf longer:
- Check internet connection
- Verify API_BASE URL is correct (
http://localhost:3000for local development) - Check server logs for OpenAI API errors
Data not syncing across devices
Data not syncing across devices
Check:
- Supabase credentials configured (
VITE_SUPABASE_URL,VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY) - Network connectivity
- Real-time subscription status
Getting Help
Documentation
Browse the complete documentation
Support
Email [email protected]
Community
Join the Paw & Care community
Congratulations! You’ve successfully created your first patient record and AI-generated SOAP note. You’re now ready to streamline your veterinary practice with Paw & Care.