Making it stick: delivering an effective healthcare recommendation

Authors: Coe JB
Publication: Proceedings of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Annual Conferences, Volume 2014 AVA Annual Conference, Perth, Issue Practice Management, May 2014
Publisher: Australian Veterinary Association

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Abstract: Research suggests that when a client enters an appointment with a pre-established viewpoint that is not consistent with their veterinarian’s, without the veterinarian communicating in a manner that is attentive to the client’s perspective, the client is likely to reject the veterinarian’s viewpoint in favor of their own.2 This reinforces the importance of not only gathering a complete medical history but also gathering information specific to the client’s perspective (e.g., their beliefs, their expectations, etc). It has been found that 30% of clients who did not follow through with their veterinarian’s recommendation felt it was unnecessary, suggesting that these clients did not receive information that was relevant to their perspective.3 Understanding the client’s perspective provides the groundwork for educating clients and making a recommendation that has value for the client.

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