Animal Health Solution - a Henry Schein Animal Health magazine for veterinary professionals
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10 Covetrus | 855.724.3461 | northamerica.covetrus.com The ability to communicate clearly and effectively with clients is essential to our success as veterinarians. This information was excerpted from an EquiManagement article written by Colleen Best, DVM, PhD, BSCH. Covetrus provides a full array of client communication solutions from online pharmacy refills and reminders to appointment scheduling, customized email campaigns and integrated telemedicine services such as Rapport. Veterinarian-client communication 855.724.3461 | northamerica.covetrus.com © 2021 Covetrus. All Rights Reserved. No copying without permission. Not responsible for typographical errors. Lit. No. 20EQLS158 (02/2021) https://equimanagement.com/articles/veterinarian-client-communication Source: • Communication with referring vets, farriers, and other service providers is paramount in helping the horse remain healthy or get well. • Partnership is the new norm: Medicine, both human and veterinary, has seen a paradigm shift from paternalistic or doctor-centered care, where the care provider dictates care and expects clients to fall in line, to relationship or partnership-oriented care, in which the doctor and client form a team that works to provide care to the patient. • Collegiality is "a relationship between colleagues that is respectful, polite, and cooperative." • When we are interacting with other professionals, how can we modify our behavior and communication to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome for ourselves and the other professionals, as well as our clients and patients? – Mindfulness of attitude: If we purposefully engage with the others with a respectful attitude and an open mind, acknowledging that person's skill set, and experience as essential to a positive outcome for the case, then the stage is set for a successful interaction. – Communication: Good communication involves immediately establishing the purpose of the conversation, using open-ended questions to encourage the other person to share their thoughts or feelings; and using empathetic communication as an active attempt to understand the other's experience. – Reciprocity: Because humans tend to match or mirror the behaviors of others, your demeanor can influence that of the other party. Use a positive demeanor in communications. – Conflict management: Where there are relationships, there are conflicts. Resolving conflict with the professionals with whom we need to work on an ongoing basis can be awkward and tough, but resolution is essential to future strong and effective working relationships. • Research has shown that the way in which we communicate with clients is one of the top five criteria used when selecting a veterinarian. Sometimes a veterinarian's client is another veterinarian. How referring DVMs interact with specialists impacts the care patients receive. • Veterinarian/farrier relationships also can affect the outcome of a case, necessitating good communication and cooperation. Each professional brings a different skill set to the case, but both professionals should have as their primary focus the desire to end up with a healthy and sound horse. When working with another professional – Clarify and agree on goals – Be clear that you need the other person's skill set or knowledge – Communicate why you are collaborating