{"id":7524,"date":"2020-04-01T00:00:03","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T07:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=7524"},"modified":"2022-06-15T17:45:27","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T17:45:27","slug":"dont-confuse-decision-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/dont-confuse-decision-making\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Confuse the Issue"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve noticed a trend in exam room communications that can lead to fewer clients complying with treatment recommendations. The problem is that pet owners are often given a list of treatment options without enough education and guidance from the veterinary team. When this happens, confusion sets in and pet owners defer or decline recommendations. The fix is not as simple as changing the wording of our recommendations. I\u2019ll explain the process of shared decision-making and how the veterinary team can help clients make decisions that lead to the best patient outcomes.<\/p>\n

Much has been written about shared decision-making and the forming of collaborative partnerships with patients in human medicine and clients in veterinary medicine. Shared decision-making in veterinary medicine supports engaging pet owners collaboratively so that they can make medical care decisions and choose a treatment plan that is best for their pet and family. It involves serving as a guide for clients rather than paternalistically telling them, \u201cThis is what you need to do\u201d or \u201cThis is what I recommend.\u201d<\/p>\n

During shared decision-making, don\u2019t assume what pet owners want or whether they can afford a particular treatment. Transparent options are critical, but don\u2019t give clients a long list and then have them decide without you thoroughly educating them about the choices.<\/p>\n

The goal of shared decision-making is to achieve greater pet owner compliance<\/a> and better patient outcomes. Here are three best practices.<\/p>\n

Build Trust<\/h3>\n

Veterinarians and team members who are compassionate and friendly toward pets and clients help build client loyalty. However, being nice isn\u2019t enough to achieve the goal of improved compliance. The missing piece is to mindfully use specific communications that lead to deeper trust and serve to bring the pet owner into the decision-making process.<\/p>\n

Notice, the word \u201cmindfully\u201d in the above paragraph. Communication skills are most effective when people understand why they are helpful and when to use them. Let\u2019s look at two skills that build trust and create a collaborative partnership with pet owners.<\/p>\n

The first is knowing why and when to use open-ended questions. Those that build rapport include \u201cHow did you decide to get a Papillon<\/a>?\u201d and \u201cTell me how your son is doing in soccer?\u201d These are excellent questions for engaging clients, but they don\u2019t contribute to shared decision-making. To accomplish it, veterinarians can ask open-ended questions while performing the physical exam and during discussions about medical conditions. They might ask, \u201cTell me what you know about heart failure in dogs\u201d or \u201cHow did you decide to feed this diet?\u201d<\/p>\n

These questions are helpful because they:<\/p>\n