The recent surge in pet ownership is undeniable, with 66% of U.S. households now sharing their lives with pets, according to the American Pet Products Association. Unfortunately, preventable diseases continue to impact pets daily. An estimated 1 in 7 adult dogs exhibits a clinically relevant abnormality in their wellness labwork, signaling potential underlying health issues. At Veterinary Innovative Partners, we emphasize to our clients and teams the crucial role that wellness labwork plays in yearly exams. Delivering quality care must involve instilling awareness in pet owners about the importance of spotting issues before they escalate.
The cost of veterinary services can be a hurdle for pet owners considering preventive care. However, it is imperative to view proactive care as catching small leaks before they become floods. Investing in preventive measures by scheduling routine exams can lead to substantial long-term savings. Early detection allows for more effective treatments and fewer complications.
That often-overlooked reality, coupled with the growing number of pet owners, creates a critical need for education. Empowering pet owners, practice owners and veterinary professionals to prioritize preventive care is no longer optional; it’s essential. Implementing effective communication strategies creates a ripple effect of benefits for clients and the practice itself.
Multifaceted Benefits
When implemented successfully, preventive care:
- Creates stability for practice owners. Preventive care routines can cultivate lifelong connections with clients, fostering loyalty and consistent revenue streams — the lifeblood of any practice. Stability enables practice owners to invest strategically in high-quality equipment and other resources and potentially expand their services. Furthermore, team members gain access to the tools they need to excel, and patients receive the highest quality care available.
- Revitalizes veterinary teams. Burnout and compassion fatigue cast a dark shadow on our profession, diverting veterinarians and team members from the passion and purpose that led them to veterinary medicine in the first place. Those stressors, reflected in workplace productivity and personal well-being, can impact the quality of patient care. Witnessing pets thrive, in part through preventive measures, rekindles the spark within us, serving as a reminder of the fundamental reason we entered this field: to improve animal lives.
- Gives pet owners peace of mind. Regular pet checkups strengthen the bond and trust that clients have with clinics. Proactive care empowers them to take control and find satisfaction in actively safeguarding their pets’ health. Additionally, understanding that prevention is often more cost-effective than treating advanced diseases reinforces their peace of mind.
Despite the evident benefits of preventive care, ensuring full client compliance remains a considerable challenge. As the adage goes, price is only an issue in the absence of value. It is the veterinarian’s responsibility to explain the purpose of all tests and why conducting them annually is best for the patient.
Factors beyond monetary concerns can hinder a pet owner’s engagement with a practice. These include a perceived undervaluing of preventive care and a patient’s fear or anxiety during veterinary visits.
Addressing all those barriers requires implementing communication strategies and creating a harmonious environment for improved patient outcomes and a thriving practice.
Step 1
A comprehensive approach encompassing active listening, empathy, nonverbal communication and written communication can forge and sustain client-veterinarian relationships.
More than just attentive ears, active listening is a cornerstone of successful veterinary care. Active listening plays diagnostic and therapeutic roles. It helps us gather vital information for accurate diagnoses while addressing the subtlest client concerns. This communication skill demands nuanced engagement from veterinarian professionals.
For team members, I recommend training programs or workshops on active listening techniques, such as maintaining eye contact, using intentional body language, speaking at a comfortable pace, acknowledging cues and embracing silence to create space for reflection. At Veterinary Innovative Partners, we encourage our veterinarians to provide a brief verbal summary of a client’s concerns.
Active listening validates a pet owner’s feelings and creates a sense of being seen, heard and understood. Also, incorporating empathy helps build trust, connects with a client’s emotional journey, and ultimately leads to improved patient outcomes and a more fulfilling experience for everyone.
Step 2
Clients often leave with a head full of instructions and, sometimes, a vague understanding of what to anticipate. Clear, concise written communication is vital to bridge in-clinic and at-home care.
Opt for short, action-oriented information to empower clients with the knowledge they need to effectively manage a pet’s recovery. For example, develop one-page handouts outlining essential home-care instructions, potential side effects and warning signs. After a procedure, written discharge instructions should highlight the treatment, what to monitor, activity restrictions and medication schedules. If a pet owner is feverishly taking notes during an exam, offer to email a summary of the visit so the client can focus on your in-person message.
Monthly newsletters highlighting wellness initiatives and celebrating themed months, such as National Pet Dental Health Month, can help promote preventive care.
Step 3
Leverage your team as communications champions. Assign specific team members as champions of different preventive care initiatives. This approach allows them to become experts and advocates, proactively discussing preventive care with clients and answering questions.
Additionally, recognize and reward your champions by highlighting their impact on patient outcomes and the practice’s success. Managers, practice owners and veterinarians should lead by example to foster a communication style characterized by focus, professionalism, honesty and purpose.
Putting It Together
The depth of your clients’ trust in you directly influences their openness to your recommendations. Your preventive care protocols should address annual visits, vaccination schedules, parasite testing and screening lab work. Such a strategy is a framework to ensure the entire team is aligned with your services.
The rise in pet ownership presents challenges and opportunities. We can be overwhelmed by the challenges, or we can seize the opportunities and create a future where preventive care is the norm, not the exception.
Veterinary teams, through collaborative efforts and proactive communication, can champion preventive care in their clinics, ensuring the well-being of pets, cultivating informed, empowered owners, and contributing to the success of veterinary practices.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Check out these stories on veterinary preventive care.
- “When Suggestions Sound Like a Hard Sell,” by Dr. Amanda L. Donnelly, bit.ly/suggestions-TVB
- “The Paradox of Preventive Care,” by Dr. Bob Lester, bit.ly/paradox-TVB
- “Patch the Cracks in Your Patient Base,” by Dr. Wendy Hauser, bit.ly/patch-TVB