Jim Humphries, BS, DVM, CVJ
President, Veterinary News Network
Founder, American Society of Veterinary Journalists.
Adjunct Professor - Texas A&M University
In a recent article by Daniella Koren on Marketing Health, she points out several myths about chronic patient care and communications that may block the ability of human health care providers to offer the best supportive information.
I believe we can learn some key points from this interesting article.
Be Real:
People want to see real pictures of you and your operation, even if it means something that is not perfect. Most sites have "stock photo" images of happy people and pets, but your clients know that is not you or your clinic and frankly - they would rather see you. Take the time to take real pictures for your web site. Certainly works on Facebook!
Decrease Visual Fear:
There is a "white-coat syndrome" where patients (clients) may become a bit intimated by your position and forget to ask what they were prepared to ask or they can't articulate their (or their pet's) symptoms maybe even downplaying them in fear of a negative diagnosis. No matter what color coat you wear, remember this and try to ask open questions, use open body language, be accepting and gentle with some sensitive people in order to get the right information you need. And always understand the relationship, being a 3-way one, is a bit more complex including personality projection, guilt, loss and loneliness and a myriad of other human emotions that come into play.
Speak at a higher level:
Both in media and in patient (client) communications, we've always heard we should keep our language at a 4th to 6th grade level. However, patients who are long suffering with various conditions (such as cancer) are much more educated and we should keep the language level higher - say about 12th grade. The more serious the medical condition the more both patients and our clients are involved in learning and researching the conditions. Physicians are underestimating what patients understand especially in chronic diseases. They are learning that patients particularly like to read about clinical trials and look at a treatment's mechanism of action, items that doctors thought they would be least likely to understand. Keep this in mind especially with your complex or chronic cases! Clients will appreciate your acknowledgement of their level of understanding.
They may not be giving the meds as you directed:
According to the National Council on Patient Information and Education's 2009 survey up to 54% of people fail to take their medications as prescribed. So you can bet the number is even less with pet patients. Do everything you can to stress the importance of giving the meds as you prescribe. It is crucial to teach and show them how to give them, even with difficult dogs / cats. If meds are critical and they can't give them, offer to have them come in and do this for them without cost. You'll bond a client for life.
Offer "lifestyle" tips carefully:
Human patients are often wary of nutrition and fitness articles/videos because they're afraid of being told that they caused their disease with unhealthy lifestyle choices. I recently spent a good 30 minutes with a pet owner who had a very obese dog in an attempt to help her and her dog prevent serious problems. It was clear she did not want to hear much of what I had to say. Why? Either she did not want to make changes, she was offended that I was injecting lifestyle changes into her routine and on her beloved obese pet, or she could have been fearful that the things I was saying would, in fact, be true causing problems that she had generated with neglect or over feeding. We have to considering this when speaking with anyone who may internalize or personalize our advice to them about their pets.
Take Away:
Of course, not any one method works with all clients. But I felt some of what has been learned in human medicine and patient communications could help us as well, especially with detailed cases. In human health care delivery they often forget about educating the caregiver. In our cases, we are ALWAYS educating the caregiver. So by learning and practicing better ways to connect and talk honestly with the clients, the patients will have a better outcome.
'Til next time,
"Dr. Jim"
As we expected, Diamond Pet Foods has been 
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