Unleashing Knowledge: 5 Pawsome Ways to Enhance Client Education at Your Vet Clinic

Client education stands at the heart of exceptional veterinary care, fostering a strong bond between pet owners and vet clinics, and ensuring the well-being of our animals. A lack of effective client education can trigger a chain of problems for vet teams, pet owners, and our beloved pets.

For veterinarians, poor client education primarily results in confusion among pet owners. Incomplete comprehension of their pet's condition, treatment plan, or post-visit care often leads to complaints, misunderstandings, and dissatisfaction with the vet practice. Handling upset clients can be highly stressful for vet teams, consuming valuable time and influencing the clinic's reputation within the community.

When pet owners lack access to accurate and reliable information about their pets' health, they often turn to the internet for answers. However, online veterinary information can be conflicting, confusing or simply inaccurate. Additionally, VetCheck research shows that up to 80% of pet owners don’t follow vet recommendations due to confusion. The resulting medical non-compliance can lead to drastic health consequences for pets.

Here are 5 ways to improve client education at your clinic:

1)      Digital Health Information Sheets/Handouts

Digital information handouts can be shared via email or printed for clients, either during their visit or afterward. These materials should offer clear and concise explanations of pet health topics, treatment plans and home care instructions, making them valuable after every visit. VetCheck research shows 94% of young pet owners believe digital resources and handouts would be helpful for them to better understand their pets’ health and conditions. 

2)      Home Care Videos

Sharing home care videos that demonstrate various pet care routines can greatly assist pet owners in complying with their pet's treatment plan. Visual learning is often more effective in conveying information and ensuring clients understand the nuances of pet care. Clients are also more likely to watch a video than read lengthy instructions, ensuring they receive and retain essential information about pet care. These videos can be shared through your clinic's website or social media channels or sent directly to pet owners, making them easily accessible to clients.  

3)     Leveraging Social Media

Utilising social media platforms to share informative content, such as articles, infographics, and videos, that educate pet owners about various aspects of pet health and wellness can be a point of differentiation for your clinic. Creating how-to guides or general information that applies to most pet owners is the most common on social media, as the information cannot be too tailored or specific. Engaging with your audience on social media can foster a sense of community and trust, and can show your clients that your vet team is informed and relatable.

Using social media platforms to share educational content such as infographics and videos can set your clinic apart. Social media also allows clinics to reach a broader audience beyond their immediate locality, and you could be attracting potential clients in the process. Additionally, social media facilitates direct engagement with the community and can show your clients that your vet team is informed and relatable.

4)      Newsletters

Regular newsletters sent via email can keep clients informed about upcoming events, promotions, and important pet health information. Vet clinics can also include articles written by your vet team to address common concerns and share tips for pet care. Similarly, this form of informational handout can strengthen the bond between the client and your clinic.

5)      Digital Pet Health Reports

Providing clients with a written digital summary after each appointment is beneficial for their memory and understanding. People only take in as little as 14% of medical information that is said to them verbally during an appointment, however, this jumps to 80% when written information and pictographs are used in conjunction (Kessels, 2003). Digital pet health reports help clients review and understand the information discussed during the appointment, enabling them to retain far more information than just listening to the vet explain the information alone.

 Having effective client education at your vet clinic is not only essential for the health and well-being of pets but also for the success and reputation of your practice. By implementing these 5 easy tips, you are empowering your clients to provide the best possible outcomes for their pets, leading to healthier pets and satisfied clients.