How to Take Client Education Back from Dr. Google [Infographic]

(This post was originally published on July 23, 2013, and has been updated to be even more fantastic!)Want to take back client education from the Internet? It’s much easier than you think.
The millions of online resources are overwhelming to pet owners, and they can’t tell reliable information from poor information. That’s why the overwhelming majority of pet owners trust veterinarians the MOST for pet health information on the Internet, as the research in our infographic shows. Wow. Think of what this means for you!If you’ve ever had clients come in with print-outs from poor, misguiding or conflicting websites, this news is for you. And, if you’ve been wondering how you can steer clients back to trusted, accurate information, this news is for you.
We created our “Veterinarians and Online Client Information” infographic because the following data is exciting news for all practices across North America. It includes the following key points that let you take back client education from random websites:
78.5% of pet owners rated their veterinarians as the most trustworthy source of online pet health information.

Look closely. You’ll see that the Internet comes in at a measly 1.1%. We’re guessing you would have placed the Internet way higher than yourself or any other source of online pet health information. But as you can see, pet parents want your help. They want an expert to guide them to the most reliable articles, tips, videos, and other pet-care info.
Your clients are using their computers and mobile devices more and more for pet-care help, and they expect you to be there for them. This means they’re looking to you for online articles that are truly helpful. And they want to be able to reach out to you and your team via email, to at least ask questions, request an appointment, ask if you have their pet’s food in stock, etc.
This means you have all kinds of opportunities to provide what they want. It’s just a matter of embracing online communications.

You can drive client education discussions and compliance at many touch points; not just during visits. 

Think of all the ways you can be making more of an impact with clients by providing and/or recommending content:

• Improve understanding and acceptance during the patient visit, using your iPad or laptop in the exam room to bring up a topic and explain what’s happening
• Boost compliance before and after visits by sending emails that contain links to your online articles. For instance, you can help clients understand surgery prep by sending articles about preanesthetic testing or pain management. Or take a more real world approach and print off an article that they can take home with them.
• Allow clients to find trusted answers anywhere, anytime — even on their smartphones. Encourage them to choose your practice website over Dr. Google for reliable pet health information.

All of these possibilities and more, are available with ClientEd Online.

It turns out that clients are eager to find a local source of trusted information for their pets. That source can be you.

The authors of one study have this recommendation for all veterinarians when it comes to client education:

Client education and retention are truly in your hands. If your practice has embraced the Internet and is directing clients to highly useful information on your website or other sites, good for you!
If not, you’ll find easy ways to make it happen in our free guide, Client Education: Overcoming Dr. Google Guide.