Читать книгу Pet-Specific Care for the Veterinary Team - Группа авторов - Страница 153

It's a topic few veterinarians want to discuss, and one even fewer veterinarians were taught how to discuss during veterinary school. The money conversation is so uncomfortable and awkward, veterinarians often make their recommendations without mentioning cost until a client inquires, which can instill feelings of distrust in the pet owner (see 5.11 Discussing Finances for Pet‐Specific Care).

The fear of appearing to be “in it for the money” is not new for veterinarians. Conduct an online search about veterinarians and money, and you'll find countless articles and news pieces about veterinarians recommending seemingly unnecessary diagnostics and treatments in the hope of making more money. As a result, the profession is afraid of talking about money, pet owners lose faith in veterinary healthcare providers, and pets don't get the care they need and deserve.

When veterinarians avoid discussing cost of care with clients, they aren't making the uncomfortable discussion disappear. Instead, they are punting the conversation to other members of the team, who will likely be forced to have the conversation after a sticker‐shocked client confronts them. This puts client care representatives and other team members on the defensive and makes pet owners feel as if the veterinary team was not upfront about the cost of care before services were rendered. When veterinarians neglect to be upfront and transparent about the cost of care, support staff and pet owners are left with a bad taste in their mouths, and that can lead to poor reviews for veterinary hospitals and negative press about the profession.

Two studies published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that pet owners expected veterinarians to initiate discussions of costs upfront, but that those discussions were uncommon [1, 2]. And, when cost was discussed, veterinarians focused on tangibles, such as time and services provided, while pet owners focused on outcome as it related to their pet's health and well‐being [1, 2]. In the earlier study, veterinarians reported feeling undervalued for their efforts, while some pet owners were suspicious about the motivation behind veterinarians' recommendations [1].

This disconnect between veterinarians and pet owners clearly poses barriers for the profession. But, if veterinarians can improve communication, educate clients, and have the cost discussion every time they make a recommendation, some of these challenges can be alleviated.