Client Education Strategies to Improve Efficiency in Veterinary Medicine

Client education is critical to veterinary practice success and ensuring optimal pet health outcomes. Education includes helping clients understand common health concerns, the “why” behind recommendations, and the value of veterinary services. Educated clients build rapport and trust with the team, actively participate in their pet’s care, and will more likely comply with treatment plans.

Educating clients has only one downside—the time required to do the task well. Spending extra time in each exam room can derail the day’s schedule, but rushing clients through their visit can make them feel dismissed, or they may misunderstand their pet’s care plan. Efficient and effective education requires thinking outside the exam room box. Here are several strategies to enhance your delivery of client education.

Enhance understanding with visual aids and demonstrations

Visual aids, such as videos, models, posters, or drawings, can significantly enhance understanding and help clients arrive at their “aha!” moment faster. Stock exam rooms with models or images that help explain difficult-to-grasp health conditions or that help to drive home common points your team makes repeatedly. Playing videos in exam rooms or investing in a database of videos you can send from your practice software or email are also effective strategies.

Leverage veterinary software for information sharing

Modern veterinary software system features facilitate more efficient client education, including:

• Easy access — Access patient records, lab results, and treatment plans from any device with cloud-based systems to explain pet health data to clients, including during home visits or in waiting areas.
• Integrated communications — Built-in communication tools allow for seamlessly sharing educational materials. Send follow-up emails or text links with care instructions, videos, or articles, or automate communications after specific visit types.
• Simplified reminders — Automated reminders that inform clients about upcoming appointments, preparation instructions, recommended care, and necessary follow-ups require no extra team member effort.

Provide written educational materials

Written instructions and handouts can reinforce verbal explanations, solidify your client’s understanding, and serve as a reference. Written materials—paper or digital—provided before visits can also establish a client knowledge base that the veterinary team can build on later, saving time. Consider creating or purchasing materials that cover common conditions or recommendations that are distributed to clients in person or via a digital blog or website database, email newsletter, or social feed.

Engage clients with digital platforms

Client portals and mobile apps integrated with veterinary practice management software are essential client education tools. These platforms not only offer scheduling tools and medical records access, but also keep clients informed and involved in their pets’ care. Apps can provide access to educational databases, including videos, articles, and FAQs, reducing the in-person education required at future visits.

Hosting educational community workshops or webinars on preventive care, nutrition, and common health issues keeps clients informed and drives business to the practice. Recording the sessions and posting them to the clinic’s website, client portal, or social media will build a custom library. Recording videos can be time-consuming, but veterinary team members will no longer need to educate pet owners about the same information day after day.

Solicit and address client feedback

Client feedback on the education process allows for ongoing improvement. The education tools and methods the practice chooses are practical only if clients find them useful, easy to navigate, and easy to understand. Features built-in or available on your practice management software can help solicit feedback, including automated post-visit surveys or embedded feedback forms. Use feedback—or a lack thereof—to determine the education channels that are working, need attention, and not worth additional effort.

Invest in team member training

Effective client education starts with an educated and trained veterinary team. Team members must have sufficient standardized medical knowledge and understanding of practice protocols and veterinarian preferences. They must also learn to convey information clearly, listen actively, and respond appropriately. In-clinic training, role-playing, and external CE sessions can help identify and address weaknesses in client education delivery.

Efficient client education in veterinary practice is achievable by leveraging technology, using visual aids and written materials, engaging clients digitally, and training team members to communicate effectively. Well-informed clients who better understand their pet’s health needs will increase compliance, patient outcomes will improve, and client relationships will be stronger. Investing in these strategies paves the way for more efficient visits and improved overall practice performance.