How To Communicate With Your Vet.
What you say to your veterinarian (or your own doctor) and how you say it is important. Conversely, what your veterinarian or doctor says to you, and how she says it, is also important. They can make a big difference in the quality of care, the cost of that care, and your satisfaction.
The results of an experiment investigating these things were published last March in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA). Three hundred video recordings were made of fifty veterinarians during office visits with their clients. The recordings were analyzed using a system devised in a similar earlier study of how physicians and their patients talked to each other.
Both studies found a few clear categories of interaction. In some, the doctors did most of the talking, sort of taking on the role of a guardian. At the other extreme, the client was more assertive, as if they were a consumer, negotiating the purchase of a used car. In the middle, the doctor and client had a more equal and cooperative relationship.
There are problems with the "doctor as guardian." Your veterinarian may not have the same values as you. She may not feel the same as you do about how much money you are willing to spend and the quality of service you expect, or how careful you want to be. You may not feel the same about how much pain and suffering a pet should be expected to endure. However, there are clients who are unwilling or unable to take an active role in all the decisions that must be made, and a "doctor as guardian" may be just what they want or need. That places an added burden of responsibility on the doctor.
The "consumer" approach was found in the human study but it was not found in any of the 300 veterinary visits that were recorded. I think shopping around, and negotiating are probably more common in veterinary medicine than in human medicine, but they tend to happen before or after exam room visits.
In 42% of veterinary visits, according to the study results, the relationship was more commonly like a relationship of equals, or even friends. I suspect a lot of this depends more on what the client wants than what the veterinarian wants. In my own biased and unscientific experience, and in talking to others, it seems physicians are less likely to take the time to explain things in detail and more likely to hold patients "at arm's length," though I think this is changing. The human study found that a more equal physician-client relationship resulted in better medical outcomes, more patient satisfaction, and fewer malpractice claims.
I think this is the way it works best in veterinary medicine:
1. You give a complete and accurate description of the symptoms that concern you. It may be good to talk to other family members and make a list. In the "doctor's office" things get forgotten. Be accurate and complete but don't waste time on things that are clearly irrelevant.
2. Your vet should listen carefully, ask questions, and do a good examination.
3. Your vet should explain in terms you can understand what the probably diagnosis is or what the possibilities are, and outline a plan for treatment or for further tests or exams that are needed.
4. She should offer to give a written estimate.
5. She should tell you what the outcome is likely to be.
6. She should answer any questions you may have.
7. You should write these things down so you don't forget what to tell your wife.