QUARTERLY BEAT / JULY 2022 ///
for at-home comfort. One in-clinic dose of Zorbium TM provides 4 days of continuous post-op pain control
Try to sit down next to clients during important discussions. This helps make clients feel like they are a partner in the care of their pets and facilitates easier dialogue without distractions. When you stand while clients sit, clients may feel intimidated and be less likely to ask questions. In addition, it is easier for team members to focus on the client when sitting down to talk. In addition to your own non-verbal communication, observe the non-verbal communication of clients which will give you clues about their feelings and what actions you may need to take to improve communication. For example, glancing at a cellphone or watch, pacing, folded-arms, hands on the hip, standing instead of sitting in the exam room, standing near the door, and frowning can all indicate the client is in a hurry or unhappy about the wait time. Clients who are afraid or uncomfortable for some reason may display nervous behaviors such as clutching their pet, looking down, reluctance to talk, or fidgeting in their chair. Once you become more observant of client’s non-verbal communication, you can take action to respond to their body language. OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS To determine what your client’s needs and wants are, ask questions. How does your client value their pet? Find out what activities they do together. What is the pet’s lifestyle: indoor, outdoor, hunting, community service? Questions can assist and guide the owner to see and understand the medical concerns. Through understanding the medical concerns, clients can better value the comfort and quality added to their pet’s life delivered by the treatment. By asking questions and listening to the client, a team earns the client’s trust and commitment. Then, the visit and the treatment become “the clients” idea and vision for a healthy pet, and the team, the partner that assists them. There are two types of questions that gain trust and valuable information so we may know our client’s expectations and create compliance. OPEN QUESTIONS The question process is like a funnel . The beginning of the process is very open and broad. It is here that we use questions beginning with How? What? Where? These are called open questions. They are designed to get opinions, attitudes, and beliefs about the pet and owner’s needs. Let’s look at examples of open questions about dentistry for Marty (the cat) and Ms. Vickers (his owner). They progress from general to more specific. 1. What type of food does Marty like to eat? 2. How would you describe Marty’s chewing and general grooming? 3. Have you noticed any changes to Marty’s movie star smile? 4. How are you currently caring for Marty’s Teeth? From asking open questions you tap into a client’s insights about the health of their pet. This allows the veterinarian to see gaps in the client’s understanding of a disease process, such
as dental disease, and the pet’s current health status. Or stated another way, where does the client see their pet’s health vs. where does the veterinarian see the pet’s health. By carefully listening to our clients, we can give pet owners information and ask questions to close gaps in health care understanding. CLOSED QUESTIONS How do we close these gaps? There are closed questions. These are yes or no questions that determine facts and specific information. Here are some examples of closed questions on dentistry for Marty and Ms. Vickers: 1. Have you noticed the brown discoloration on Marty’s teeth? If not show her. 2. What about Marty’s breath? Does Marty sleep with you? Does he have a different odor? 3. There is a chatter of pain when I touch this tooth. Have you seen this while he is eating? 4. Has anyone ever talked with you about cleaning Marty’s teeth? Closed questions following open questions allow the owner to track with the doctor step by step through the disease process. Some short explanations with the questions are helpful, however, explanations are best understood if accompanied by a visual (such as a cat dental model or a picture of the cat’s mouth before and after cleaning). The goal is a shared understanding of the disease with the client as well as a shared vision of their pet disease free. How much should the veterinarian be talking vs. the pet owner? The rule of thumb is 70% of the time, the client is the person talking and sharing. The remaining 30% of time are yours to question, explain and reinforce the health care vision. LISTENING Your secret communication weapon is listening. According to businessman Ken Johnson, who is quoted on the International Listening Association Web site, “The contrast between hearing and really listening can be as different as night and day. And in a business environment, not listening effectively to customers, employees, and peers can mean the difference between success and failure.” Most of us take good listening for granted and don’t work very hard at improving. But listening is a complex activity. Listening requires an active response, not a passive one. Effective listening doesn’t just happen; it takes thought—and thinking can be hard work. But there is no other way to become an effective listener. Think about the complexities of listening, and work to understand them. When the client responds to your questions, it is critical that you LISTEN to their words and to their non-verbal cues. The goal is to listen for understanding. The process is crucial for building the relationship that will grow the client’s confidence to trust and follow your recommendations for their pet. When you listen for understanding rather than listen reactively, you will gain a
NEW
The only FDA-approved long-acting transdermal buprenorphine for cats Reduces the challenges of administering pain medications at home No need to administer repeat injections or dispense buprenorphine during the critical first few days after surgery
APPLY HERE
Indication: Zorbium is indicated for the control of postoperative pain associated with surgical procedures in cats. Important Safety Information: Before using ZORBIUM (buprenorphine transdermal solution), read the entire package insert including the Boxed Human Warning. ZORBIUM contains buprenorphine, an opioid that exposes humans to risks of misuse, abuse, and addiction, which can lead to overdose and death. Use of buprenorphine may lead to physical dependence. The risk of abuse by humans should be considered when storing, administering, and disposing of ZORBIUM. Serious, life- threatening, or fatal respiratory depression may occur with accidental exposure to or with misuse or abuse of ZORBIUM. ZORBIUM should only be administered by veterinarians or veterinary technicians who are trained in the handling of potent opioids. Accidental exposure to even one tube of ZORBIUM, especially in children, can result in a fatal overdose. ZORBIUM is for topical application in cats only. Following application to the cat, allow a minimum drying time of 30 minutes before direct contact with the application site. Do not administer to cats with a known hypersensitivity to buprenorphine hydrochloride, any inactive ingredients of ZORBIUM, or known intolerance to opioids. Most common adverse reactions during anesthesia were hypothermia, hypotension, and hypertension, and after anesthetic recovery were hypothermia, hyperthermia, and sedation. The safe use of ZORBIUM has not been evaluated in debilitated cats, those with renal, hepatic, cardiac or respiratory disease, pregnant lactating, breeding, in cats younger than four months old or <2.6 lbs or >16.5 lbs. Please see accompanying brief summary for additional product safety information.
Zorbium, Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. ©2022 Elanco or its affiliates. PM-US-22-1256
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