Effective communication is the cornerstone of quality animal care and leads to positive experiences and outcomes for patients and clients.

Providing quality veterinary care involves more than just technical competency. Regardless of the health care needs of the patient, clear and compassionate communication on the part of the veterinary team is critical to enhancing the overall experience for the animal and the client before, during, and after the visit. Fortunately, recognition of the importance and value of communication skills in veterinary medicine has gained momentum in the past decade, supported by data and standards from sources such as the following:

• National reports on veterinary business practices and compliance (e.g., Brakke¹ and KPMG² studies, AVMA Pfizer Business Practice Study³, American Animal Hospital Association Compliance Study⁴)
• AVMA Council of Education veterinary curriculum standards⁵
• The North American Veterinary Licensing Examination, which assesses knowledge of client communication skills⁶
• Veterinary alumni surveys that consistently demonstrate that practice success depends on effective communication skills^7–10
• Consumer surveys indicating that animal owners look for good communication and customer service when choosing or staying with a veterinarian^11–12
• A professional association and international conference dedicated to communication in veterinary medicine^a

However, surveys indicate that although clinicians recognize the importance of communication, they have not received formal training or reinforcement in this area. The good news from 30 years of research in human and veterinary health care is that communication skills are teachable.

The Institute for Healthcare Communication (IHC), a nonprofit, New Haven– based organization, has provided communication training and continuing education to more than 150,000 clinicians in human medicine for the past 2 decades. Since 2002, a series of educational grants has allowed IHC to expand the scope of its communication training to veterinary medicine. The Bayer Communication Project was initially developed to address gaps in veterinarian–client communication training at schools of veterinary medicine in North America.^b It has since produced 12 educational modules that include teaching tools and resources focusing on veterinarian–client and health care team communication. These modules provide skill-based training on a variety of topics: building trust and rapport with clients, decision-making and eliciting owner consent, end-of-life discussions and euthanasia, increasing client adherence, the power of nonverbal communication and client relationships, difficult interactions and conflict, talking about money, sharing bad news, discussing medical errors and adverse outcomes with clients, ethical decisions and high-stakes discussions, and veterinary team building and communication.

As part of the Bayer Communication Project, two faculty members from each veterinary school are selected to participate in a weeklong faculty training program. This program uses IHC’s train-the-trainer model and provides participants with knowledge, confidence, tools, practice opportunities, and resources for teaching communication skills within all domains of veterinary medicine. Trained actors portray clients in simulations that allow participants to practice newly acquired communication skills in settings involving a range of health care issues. To date, 209 faculty members have been trained, representing every veterinary school in the United States and Canada, as well as schools in the Caribbean, Australia, and Europe. Each school has integrated the communication modules into its existing veterinary curriculum. An April 2009 survey of trained faculty members reported that the program modules have been used to teach an estimated 9,000 veterinary students and 350 veterinary residents and interns.

A growing number of veterinary schools have also invested in the training of additional faculty, thereby creating a critical mass of communication-proficient faculty. Leading this effort is Michigan State University, where more than 50 faculty and staff members have been trained and have hosted training programs on their East Lansing campus. The University of Calgary conducted onsite training of 18 faculty members in 2009.

In addition to faculty and students in veterinary schools, the reach of the communication program has extended to practicing veterinary teams through invited presentations, workshops, and seminars at state, national, and international veterinary conferences. More than 7000 practicing veterinarians and members of veterinary teams in practice, research, industry, and academia have participated in these events, many of which have been sponsored by the AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust (PLIT). Sponsorship and endorsement by AVMA PLIT are predicated on reports that most veterinary liability claims and formal complaints are driven by poor communication between veterinarians and clients.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of quality animal care and leads to positive experiences and outcomes for patients and clients. Conversely, failure to communicate effectively is more likely to lead to poor outcomes, such as client dissatisfaction, poor compliance, veterinary team dissatisfaction, and threats to patient safety. Skill-based communication training provides clinicians and teams with practice tools to improve client and staff relationships. It is no surprise that most thank-you letters sent to veterinarians and their teams are related to compassion and empathy shown during emergency and end-of-life discussions with clients. Caring, compassion, and confidence are what clients remember and value most.