Search

Diversity is defined as differences between people, including age, gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, political affiliation, socio-economic status, education level, gender identity, sexual orientation, and physical, emotional, and mental abilities.1 Differentiating within such categories is natural but limits the ability to work with and learn through diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective-To identify specific components of veterinarian-client-patient communication during clinical appointments in companion animal practice. Design-Cross-sectional descriptive study. Sample Population-A random sample of 50 companion animal practitioners in southern Ontario and a convenience sample of 300 clients and their pets. Procedure-For each practitioner, 6 clinical appointments (3 wellness appointments and 3 appointments related to a health problem) were videotaped, and the Roter interaction analysis system (RIAS) was used to analyze the resulting 300 videotapes. Statements made during each appointment were classified by means of a communication framework reflecting the 4 essential tasks of the appointment (ie, data gathering, education and counseling, relationship building, and activation and partnership). Results-57% of the veterinarians contacted (50/87) and 99% of the clients contacted agreed to participate in the study. Mean duration of the appointments was 13 minutes. Typically, veterinarians contributed 62% of the total conversation and clients contributed 38%. Fifty-four percent of the veterinarian interaction was with the client, and 8% was with the pet. Data gathering constituted 9% of the veterinarian-to-client communication and was primarily accomplished through closed-ended questioning; 48% of veterinarian-to-client communication involved client education and counseling, 30% involved relationship building, and 7% involved activation and partnership (the remaining 6% constituted orientation). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Results suggest that the RIAS was a reliable method of assessing the structure, process, and content of veterinarian client-patient communication and that some veterinarians do not use all the tools needed for effective communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the need to negotiating a mutually accepted treatment plan with veterinarian clients and encourage their participation while increasing their buy-in. It mentions that helping clients decide on a financial limit provides a point of negotiation for the best treatment options within their budget. It also mentions that the need to acknowledge the client's difficulties, strain, and financial stressors to open the discussion and form a nonjudgmental atmosphere.

Objective—To explore the relationship between veterinarian-client-patient interactions and client adherence to dental and surgery recommendations and to test the a priori hypotheses that appointment-specific client satisfaction and relationship-centered care are positively associated with client adherence. Design—Cross-sectional study. Sample—A subsample of 19 companion-animal veterinarians and 83 clients from a larger observational study consisting of 20 randomly recruited veterinarians and a convenience sample of 350 clients from eastern Ontario. Procedures—Videotaped veterinarian-client-patient interactions containing a dentistry recommendation, surgery recommendation, or both were selected for inclusion from the larger sample of interactions coded with the Roter interaction analysis system. Client adherence was measured by evaluating each patient's medical record approximately 6 months after the videotaped interaction. The clarity of the recommendation, appointment-specific client-satisfaction score, and relationship-centered care score were compared between adhering and nonadhering clients. Results—Among the 83 veterinarian-client-patient interactions, 25 (30%) clients adhered to a dentistry recommendation, surgery recommendation, or both. The odds for adherence were 7 times as great for clients who received a clear recommendation, compared with clients who received an ambiguous recommendation from their veterinarian. Moreover, adhering clients were significantly more satisfied as measured after the interview. Interactions resulting in client adherence also had higher scores for relationship-centered care than did interactions leading to nonadherence. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Veterinarian use of a relationship-centered care approach, characterized as a collaborative partnership between a veterinarian and a client with provision of clear recommendations and effective communication of the rationale for the recommendations, has positive implications for client adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]