A veterinary hospital where I once worked called it "show and tell". Everything we did ended in some level of show and tell: x-rays, heartworm tests, bloodwork, ear cleanings, you name it. If there was a visual element we would utilize it.
Why? the answers are two-fold, in the case of X-rays, showing the client the radiographs helps them 'see' what you're seeing, good or bad. It brings them into the picture and helps them understand what will happen next. It grounds some of the ethereal aspect of medicine and brings it home.
Show and tell also helps people 'see' some of the value or of their actions. Show them the dots on the Snap tests and tell them what they're seeing. Show them the bloodwork when you go over it. Point out the little red squares and tell them why they are or are not important. Showing them gives them a solid thing to grasp. It helps keeps them from drowning in foreign terminolgy.
Show your clients what heartworms look like, what a cruciate looks like, what hip dysplasia looks like. Show them the shape of the ear canal and how deep the roots go on teeth. All of these tools help paint a picture. It helps pull the clients into out world. They can see why a tooth extraction costs what it does when you show the removal of three roots separately. Better understanding leads to better compliance.
You want to see a hospital that excels at compliance? Look at their handouts and educational tools, most likely if they have them, they're using them.
People prefer to walk out of your hospital with something other than a bill (and a treatment plan: a future bill). We all know this, yet how often, really do they?
Take the time to look at your handouts. Are they up to date (you're not discussing the pros and cons of the giardia vaccine are you)? Are they clear? Are they professional? Do not hand out photocopies typed up in the 90's!
Use your reps. They can provide heartworm, parasite, dental care, and other materials. Look to your own computer system, most of the big veterinary software companies have built in forms for various diseases that you can customize. Lastly, there are outside companies that can provide you with fantastic looking handouts for client education.
Anything that you are passionate about needs a handout. If it's important enough to discuss time and again, it's important enough to create a hand out for. If you do not have the time to create your own, find an enthusiastic team member who can write the general outline for you. You edit it and you're done! Now all you need to do is remember to put it into your client's hands!
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