Dr Dea Bonello’s story: Bringing efficiency and focus back to veterinary practice
Heidi Team
January 13, 2026•7 min read
Section Name: BlockContentHighlights
Dr Dea Bonello x Heidi at a glance
“Heidi allows me time to talk to pet owners. Knowing Heidi is recording and transcribing my consults, I can dedicate all my attention and the deserved time to my clients.” - Dr Dea Bonello, Consultant at Harvest Veterinary Emergency & Specialist Hospital, Hong Kong.
Key outcomes:
Significant reduction in documentation time, even with the basic version
Increased focus and presence during complex consultations and procedures
Improved accuracy and medicolegal confidence through complete, compliant notes
Organic adoption among colleagues inspired by her positive experience
Enhanced professional satisfaction and efficiency across specialist practice
Read on if you might also be experiencing:
Heavy administrative load from high caseloads and limited time for notes
Difficulty balancing patient focus with documentation demands
Gaps in medicolegal documentation or record accuracy under time pressure
Lack of institutional support for digital tools but a desire to work smarter
Dr Dea Bonello is a consultant at Harvest Veterinary Emergency Specialist Hospital and at Veterinary Specialist Hospitalleading veterinary centres in Hong Kong providing specialist care and emergency services. With over a decade of international experience, including work in Europe and academic roles in Hong Kong’s veterinary training hospitals, Dr Bonello is passionate about advancing clinical standards and efficiency across the region.
As a specialist working in high-stress environments, Dr Bonello found herself struggling to find time for her backlog of administrative work.
Challenges
Dr Bonello’s days as a specialist are filled with back-to-back consults and surgical procedures — leaving little time for documentation. Like many clinicians, she faced the daily tension of balancing patient care with the administrative load of note writing.
With a busy caseload and limited support for new tools, she initially started using Heidi independently — as she described it, “a personal treat to help myself.”
Despite these constraints, she quickly saw the difference Heidi made in her workflow.
Time pressure in a high-stress environment
“When you work in a stressful environment without a lot of time to write your notes, it really helps a lot.”
Dr Bonello often juggles a high volume of patients and complex procedures. Heidi became her quiet assistant in the background — lightening the cognitive load and helping her stay present with each case and providing a positive experience of care for her patients.
Bringing efficiency without management support
“We tried to convince the management to subscribe and keep us as a tool, but they were not on board… so I convinced a few of my colleagues to try and they started using it too.”
Even without institutional backing, Dr Bonello’s belief in Heidi’s value led her to advocate for it organically. Her enthusiasm sparked interest among peers who began adopting the tool themselves, leading to greater efficiency across the team.
Streamlining specialist documentation
“Even if I use the basic version, it shortens the time I have to spend on documentation a lot.”
Heidi proved especially helpful in reducing the repetitive documentation work that specialists often face, giving Dr Bonello more time to focus on patients and clinical leadership.
Over time, the efficiency gains and effortless note-taking experience made Heidi an indispensable part of her daily routine — establishing Heidi as a true partner in care for Dr Bonello’s clinical workflow.
Solution
Dr Bonello first discovered Heidi as a way to cope with the growing demands of her role. What began as a simple trial soon became an essential tool in her practice.
When Heidi reached out to learn from Hong Kong’s top users, Dr Bonello shared how seamlessly it fit into her day — and her excitement about exploring the full premium experience.
“I really would love to do more… I’m happy to stress the benefits of it because I love it.”
She now uses Heidi during consultations to record conversations, automatically generating detailed and accurate notes she can easily review and adapt for her records.
Dr Bonello’s favourite aspects of Heidi
Accuracy and clarity: “It really helps at the very beginning of the consultation process.”
Ease of use: Simple recording and transcription without technical setup.
Time savings: Frees her from repetitive note-taking, reducing end-of-day admin fatigue.
Impact
“Even if I use the basic version, it shortens the time I have to spend on documentation a lot.”
Dr Bonello now has time to truly focus and be present in consultations , without sacrificing her time after-hours on notes and admin.
Key outcomes:
Significant reduction in documentation time
Increased focus during patient consultations
Improved confidence in record-keeping accuracy
Adoption by colleagues inspired by her results
Empowered efficiency in specialist practice
“It’s a personal treat to help myself.”
Heidi has become a trusted support system for Dr Bonello, helping her balance precision and efficiency across her specialist work.
Bringing focus back to what matters most
“Heidi allows me time to talk to pet owners. Knowing Heidi is recording and transcribing my consults, I can dedicate all my attention and the deserved time to my clients. Engaging with people is the part of my job I love the most!”
Freed from the pressure of multitasking between listening and typing, Dr Bonello reconnects with the part of veterinary care that matters most to her — genuine connection and communication.
Enhancing medicolegal confidence
“Keeping thorough notes is essential here — it helps ensure everyone feels informed and protected.”
With Heidi ensuring every consultation is captured accurately, Dr Bonello feels reassured that her notes are comprehensive and compliant, reducing stress around potential disputes and documentation gaps.
Growth and advocacy
“I convinced a few of my colleagues to try, and they started using it too.”
Her positive experience naturally led to word-of-mouth adoption across her team and wider veterinary community.
Strengthened professional satisfaction
“I’m really happy to stress the benefits of it because I love it.”
Dr Bonello reports feeling more in control of her time and documentation — rediscovering joy in the clinical side of her role.
An unexpected benefit
“I’m setting up my own company… let’s see if it can become some kind of collaboration.”
Heidi’s efficiency and simplicity are helping shape the next chapter of her professional journey — inspiring her to integrate smarter technology into her own practice vision.
What’s next
With Heidi in her toolkit, Dr Bonello is free to focus on expanding her specialist services across Hong Kong. Her vision is to reach more patients by working across different clinics, making specialist care more accessible — and Heidi will be part of that transformation.
“I’m happy to be one of your early ambassadors in Hong Kong.”
