Communication Wisdom Fom Your Client's Lving Room

Communication Wisdom From
Your Client’s Living Room!

Dr. Jim Humphries
Adjunct Professor
Media and Communications
Texas A&M University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Founder:
Veterinary News Network
American Society of Veterinary Journalists

Copyright 2013, Veterinary News Network

Family
Kids
Coffee
Donut
Then…
Veterinary Medicine


JUST REMEMBER..
Kids

Coffee
Cows

How’s Your Dad?
Something To Drink?
Then…
Veterinary Medicine


WHERE DID VETERINARY
MEDICINE BEGIN?
HOW DID WE BECOME
SUCH A BELOVED
PROFESSION?

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR
PROFESSION NOW?

Where is Veterinary
Medicine Today?
15 Minute Appointments
More Tech Time = Less Face Time
More Technology = Less Touch
Many More Disconnects (Barriers)
Decreased Levels Of Trust And

Relationship
Decreased Compliance
Decreased Satisfaction (Yours and Theirs!)

What Are The Problems
With The Current Model?
Practice Management Consultants

(mostly from outside our profession) have

pushed us into human medical models of
business efficiency.

This has created real problems

Just look at human medicine…

This is HUGE with
Physicians!
Studies Show Real
Problems:
Aging Patients
Return To Hospital,
Lack Of Self-care,
Increased Medical
Costs – Even Deaths!

This Should Get Everyone’s Attention


Vicious Cycle Of Poor
Communications
And
Poor Delivery Of Care:
3.5 Hrs./Day = Busy Work
Result Of Poor Communications
More Time Communicating =
Less Time In Busy Work!

Physicians:
69% of MD’s interrupt the
patient within 18 seconds!
Once this happens, only 2%
complete information.
What is your most important
diagnostic tool?
treatment tool?


Pediatricians:
The Pediatrician-Parent
Child Relationship Is Very Similar To
The Veterinarian-Client Relationship!

The Two Most Important Factors:
1.Parent’s need for answers
2.Positive behaviors;
kindness, care, warmth, taking them
seriously

Pediatricians:
Highest Patient Satisfaction Is
When The Physician Will Relate.
Be Social, Positive, Attitude of
Partnering, Good Non-verbal
Actions
Eye Contact
“Real Listening”
Empathy

Parents Want THREE Things:
1. To Be Asked Opinion
2. To Be Respected
3. To Be LISTENED To
 This indicates the parent feels NO

permission to be involved in the care.

 If we don’t do this, there are few follow

up questions… and care suffers.


Communication Has A
Direct Effect On
Patient Outcomes:
1. Increases Compliance
2. Compliance Improves Patient
Health
Lack of Empathy = Poor Compliance =
Patients Who Are Dissatisfied with
Treatment = Failures = Deaths!

WHAT IS THE
Most Important Diagnostic
Tool You Have?


The Meeting Of Two Experts

1. Biomedical data
2. Lifestyle and Social Component


Case Report
Pat and Heidi

Called for simple RV booster

Lifestyle and Social Factors:
Photos of Son Killed in Afghanistan,
Recently divorced, small apartment, very stressed
She has several medical problems, distracted
Bio-Medical Factors: Severe Dental Disease, Murmur, Bad Diet
Loves her pet, but money and family stress has blocked care
Reports previous DVM only focused on the teeth and only remembered a
$200 quote (probably from CVT), did not want to talk about it.
Action: Talked, Listened, Active Caring, Took Time To Understand,
Oral Health (ATP) discuss her impression. What was our outcome?
Our follow up: In two weeks called only to see how she was.
She schedule ATP, and cardiac workup……………..

What Is The “Wisdom” Here?








Living Room Offered Communications Clues
Use That To Build Relationship
Be More Relaxed, More Personal…
This Accelerates Trust…
Increased Acceptance and Compliance…
Successful Outcome on Several Levels
Without This What Would Have Been The
Outcome?


What Happened?
Built A Relational Foundation
Which Developed Trust
Builds for the Long Term
Generates Referrals
Second Pets / Neighbors
We Passed The “Gatekeeper”
We Got To Practice Good Medicine
We Have A Client For Life

WHO HAS TIME FOR THIS?

The Dog
NEVER Has
The Money!!


The Dog NEVER
Has
The Money!!


These Are The
“Gatekeepers” To Care


These Are The
“Gatekeepers” To Care

$8,000


The DELIVERY of Your Care
Depends on:

RELATIONSHIP
____________________?
1. Engage
2. Empathize

Caring

Comes BEFORE
The Care

1. Engage
2. Empathize
To Open The Gates
Relationship Based
Caring Begins, Then…

3. Educate
4. Enlist

Let’s Try This

1. Engage
2. Empathize

Caring

Find Out Something about me..

 What Did You Get?
 What About The Dane?
 How will you use this to build a

relationship with me?
 What will you do to make me want
to come back?


Relationship Based
Care (RBC)
Leads To
COMPLIANCE

Relationship Based Care:
Is REAL (not contrived or forced)
It’s Personal
A Joint Venture
It is slowed down
Based on Past Experience
BE interested in People
Beware of Information

Overload

Can you build a Relationship with Betty?


What Communications Clues
Are Present In A Home That Are
Not In The Exam Room?









Pictures of family and pets
Piano
Type of home
Pet items in the home
Memorials for previous pets
Books on the coffee table
Hobbies / interests
Magazines etc.

How Can You Discover These
Clues In The Clinic?
 Alert all staff to LISTEN to clients
when they come in (and let you
know)
 A place on client form for
hobbies, activities
 Watch the community papers
 Family events or milestones
 Town events and politics
 Animal news local and national
 Weather

WHICH LEADS TO:
Diagnostics / Prevention
Delivery Of Your Good Care
Acceptance Of Nutrition
Use of Technology
Successful Practice
Job Security
Advancement
Professional Satisfaction

The Communications Gap


Gen Y

DVM Class of:
40-60’s
70’s-86
Number In Workforce:
44M
77M

87-99

00-17

52M

78M

2018…
?

You Will Face Even New
Challenges


Relationship also
Decrease in State
Board Complaints
Up To 80% of Complaints
Come From Breakdowns
In Communications!

POOR LISTENING SKILLS:
A Sure Block To Relationship!

“My doctor does not care”

Cited in a large percentage of medical
negligence cases as a major reason
people take legal action.

15 minute appointment slots??

Your Special Challenges

You may not be good at reading non-verbal signals.
Can cause problems in practice. SO….

Practice Engaging!!

Practice Voice to Voice
Face to Face!!

Because Society Is Learning To Become MORE
Disconnected, and Veterinary Practice Has More Barriers…
You Must Learn To Connect!


Your Future Clients

What Do We Do?
 Practice Voice to Voice
 Practice Face to Face
 Practice Eye Contact
 Practice Engaging
 Practice Listening (generous, real)
 Practice Ignoring The Phone
 Practice Personal Questions

Why should this matter if you are an
employee?
As a new grad / Associate:
 If you have this attitude, you will forever
have a “job” and not a career!
 Practice Owners will see and evaluate your
communications skills in the interview
 They are looking to HIRE these skills
 I am the CEO of ME! (P4P)

 You don’t work for a practice, you
work for yourself and your skills and
deep understanding of relationships –
stay with you all your life.

How Do We Judge Professional
Competency Today??
 We have NO good measures
 Therefore your dress is a major non-verbal
communicator.
Remember you are going from a university
environment to private business
--------Here is What Will Change------

“Practice Owners tell you what to do”
White coat, name tag, call by names and
titles, consult jacket, etc.


REMEMBER: RBC
THE BEST VETERINARY
PRACTICE ADVICE I CAN
GIVE YOU IS:
LEARN TO ENGAGE CLIENTS
FOR CARE

COMPLIANCE
SATISFACTION

Communication Wisdom Fom Your Client's Lving Room

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