Boosting Protocol Compliance in Your Team Through Friendly Competition: A Veterinary Practice Playbook
- Tracy, LVT - Owner
- Feb 14
- 4 min read
Boosting Protocol Compliance in Your Team Through Friendly Competition: A Veterinary Practice Playbook
Protocol compliance is vital in any veterinary hospital. It ensures high-quality patient care, maintains accurate records, and often improves the bottom line. But getting the entire team to consistently follow protocols? That can be a challenge.
Enter friendly competition—a fun and engaging way to motivate staff, improve adherence to protocols, and even boost team morale. By turning routine tasks into contests, you can create a win-win situation for your team and your practice.
Here are some examples of how friendly competition has worked—and how you can implement it in your own hospital.
Microchip Scanning: A Case of Fun and Functionality
Microchip scanning was a protocol our medical team struggled to follow consistently. Patients would come in, and the scanners often sat untouched. So, we turned it into a competition. Here’s how:
The Rules: Team members logged every patient they scanned using a patient label. They noted:
Whether the pet had a microchip.
If the system’s records matched the actual chip data.
The Incentive: The winner—determined by who scanned the most patients and updated the most accurate records—received a Starbucks gift card and bragging rights.
The Results:
Protocol compliance skyrocketed as scanning became second nature.
Team members started seeing the error rate in real time, creating a sense of urgency to ensure accuracy.
It even boosted revenue, as the competition uncovered opportunities to sell microchips to unchipped patients.
By the end of the competition, the hospital had made more money than the cost of the incentive, and everyone was more mindful of the importance of scanning.
Reception Team: Contact Info Update Challenge
Keeping client contact information up to date is critical for reminders, follow-ups, and emergencies. But our reception team sometimes struggled with this task. So, we implemented a competition to make it fun and productive:
The Rules: Receptionists tracked the client accounts they updated, logging:
Whether the contact information was correct.
The last time it had been updated.
The Incentive: The person who updated the most accounts accurately received a Starbucks card and the title of “Data Detective of the Month.”
The Results:
Within weeks, the percentage of incorrect contact information in the database dropped significantly.
Clients were impressed with the level of detail and care the reception team showed in verifying their details.
Improved contact accuracy meant fewer missed appointments and better client communication.
This simple competition not only resolved a long-standing issue but also highlighted the importance of keeping data accurate.
How to Create Your Own Friendly Competitions
Ready to try this in your practice? Here’s how to get started:
Identify a Problem: Focus on a protocol that is often overlooked or inconsistently followed. Examples include:
Ensuring accurate inventory counts for medication.
Following up on patient discharge instructions.
Collecting signed consent forms before procedures.
Set Clear Goals: Define what success looks like and create specific, measurable criteria for participation. For instance:
Number of patients scanned for microchips.
Number of clients contacted to verify information.
Percentage of overdue wellness reminders sent out.
Make It Fun: Choose incentives that your team will value, such as:
Gift cards (Starbucks, Amazon, local restaurants).
A half-day off or late start.
A certificate or team-wide recognition.
Track Progress: Create a visible leaderboard to track results and build excitement. Display it in the breakroom or share updates in team meetings.
Celebrate the Wins: Announce the winner publicly and emphasize the positive impact the competition had on the practice. Recognition boosts morale and encourages continued compliance.
More Competition Ideas for Veterinary Teams
Prescription Accuracy Challenge: Track how many prescriptions are filled with accurate dosages and labels. Winner gets the “Pharmacy Perfectionist” award.
Appointment Reminder Race: Compete to send out the most accurate appointment reminders in a month.
Surgical Setup Olympics: Track how many surgical setups are completed perfectly, with all instruments and supplies accounted for.
Treatment Plan Completion: Award the team member who creates the most complete and client-friendly treatment plans during consultations.
Kennel Cleanliness Contest: Compete to see who can keep the kennel areas spotless, with random inspections by a designated judge.
Why It Works
Friendly competition transforms mundane tasks into engaging challenges, fostering:
Increased Compliance: Team members are more likely to follow protocols when they’re motivated by a fun goal.
Team Engagement: Competitions build camaraderie and morale, as team members cheer each other on.
Better Outcomes: From more accurate data to improved client satisfaction, competitions can have tangible benefits for your hospital.
Building a Culture of Excellence
Implementing friendly competition shows your team that compliance doesn’t have to be boring—it can be rewarding and fun. By focusing on small, actionable goals, you can tackle persistent problems, build team camaraderie, and even boost your bottom line.
When your team is engaged and motivated, protocols become second nature, and your hospital thrives. So, go ahead: turn compliance into a game. You might be surprised at just how much your team can achieve!
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