How often have you wondered why so many clients fail to follow your treatment recommendations for their pets?
Chances are, they’re not being deliberately obstinate or dismissive. One study shows there are a number of reasons why people fail to comply with healthcare advice—including anxiety, misunderstanding, and forgetfulness.
So how can you handle these pitfalls of communication with pet owners? Improving compliance rates at your veterinary practice is easier than you think!
Cross “improve client compliance” off your list—and give these handy tips for pet owner cheat sheets a try!
What can you do to improve compliance?
Providing clients with something they can review at home is one of the easiest ways you can help them retain pertinent information outside the clinic. How?
Send an informative email
Email is the perfect place to reinforce the details of a pet’s diagnosis, followed by specific next steps for treatment, and an invitation to call your practice with any questions. You can also refer clients to relevant reading material on your veterinary blog or website.
Need educational content? ClientEd Online makes it easy by granting you access to a database of trusted pet health articles for pet owners. Simply hit “send,” and you’re done!
Provide an educational printout
Emails are good for digital reference, but hard copies are helpful too! You or a member of your team can go through a printout with the pet owner in your office, using a pen or highlighter to emphasize important information and action steps. Reiterating your conversation on paper can help clients remember what they need to do once they’re at home, relaxed, and thinking more clearly.
Supply an instructional checklist
Studies show that following a checklist can help ease anxiety by providing a structured plan to follow—one that’s more likely to stick. Providing a checklist can help guide pet owners through their pet’s treatment plan step-by-step.
The simple act of crossing items off a checklist encourages clients to interact with the pet health information you give them. Plus, it helps to break down large, overwhelming blocks of instructional text into smaller, doable tasks.
Whichever method you choose, checklists aren’t intended to replace thorough consultations with clients—so remember to welcome any questions to ensure their full understanding.
Strong communication goes a long way for compliance, which leads to healthier pets, and by extension, happier clients. As such, improving compliance isn’t just good for pet health—it’s also great for business.
Keen to improve client compliance at your veterinary practice? See how the LifeLearn ECOsystem can help simplify your efforts!
