Practice Management
6th Annual Gulf-Atlantic Veterinary Conference
Jason Coe, DVM, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Population Medicine
University of Guelph
Research has shown that discussing the cost of veterinary care can be a source of unease for veterinarians. Only 29 percent of veterinarian-client exam room interactions were found to include a discussion of cost. Furthermore, when cost is discussed, it appears veterinarians and their clients may perceive "value" differently, with veterinarians in many situations not framing their discussions of costs in a manner that attends to a pet owner’s perception of value. Through an interactive discussion, a number of barriers to discussing the costs of veterinary care will be raised and discussed. In addition, the session will introduce a number of specific communication skills that can be used to help facilitate cost discussions and relay value to clients.