Effective Communication

Effective communication is one of the most essential skills that we use every day as veterinarians. Whether we work in clinical practice, in government practice, in an academic setting or as an industry veterinarian, effective communication with clients, patients, support staff and fellow veterinarians is paramount to our success.

Older veterinarians, like me (OVC 1984 grad), learned the art of effective communication after we graduated because veterinary school curricula at that time often did not include the formal teaching of these skills. Rather, we developed our abilities to convey the necessary professional information and opinion to our clients, co-workers and veterinary colleagues in our workplaces by trial and error, and often through the support of a good veterinary mentor.

Fortunately over the past decade or more, communication skills and exercises have become an important part of the veterinary school programs across Canada and beyond. Also, we are now regularly exposed to lectures, journal articles and webinars on this important topic both as graduate veterinarians and student veterinarians. In my home province of Nova Scotia, I have listened to the registrar repeatedly explain to new members, during their entrance interviews, the importance of full and effective communication with clients regarding the care and well-being of animals. He would always remark that the root of most of the complaints that were received by his office against veterinarians stemmed from poor communication between the veterinarian and the client.

As I mentioned above, clients aren’t the only ones we need to communicate with as veterinarians. I recently read an interesting article in the Trends magazine of the American Animal Hospital Association that suggests that we should communicate directly and verbally with patients as we do examinations and various procedures. I’m not suggesting that we must all converse with our patients like Dr. Dolittle, but the tone of our voices and our body language can often convey a great deal of information and calm assurance to our patients.

Good communication between veterinarians and support staff is essential to good working relationships. No one receives more verbal abuse from clients (and sometimes us) than the receptionists in hospitals and clinics. We need to constantly communicate supportively and fairly to co-workers (receptionists, technicians, managers, kennel staff and veterinarians) and help them deal with negative situations encountered in their jobs.

Collegial communication is also very important. By this, I mean the discourse that occurs between veterinarians who are not co-workers and in some situations may even be competitors. Professionally, we interact when seeking advice from each other, when referring patients, at local industry sponsored seminars and academy meetings, and at conferences. Socially, we meet at class reunions, at our kids’ schools, at sports events, and sometimes at the local grocery store. Good relations with other veterinarians in our communities will help to positively promote our profession to the general public.

As health care professionals, we are often found to be sorely lacking when communicating honestly with co-workers, loved ones, and with ourselves regarding our own personal physical, mental and financial wellness. Recent information received by the CVMA from l’Académie de médecine vétérinaire du Québec (AMVQ) indicates that the suicide rate among Quebec veterinarians between 1987 and 2002 was 25.3 suicides per 100 000 compared with 14.4 suicides per 100 000 in Quebec’s general population. The AMVQ also reported that one in 3 female veterinarians and one in 4 male veterinarians suffer from burnout.

The British Veterinary Association, along with the support of the Veterinary Benevolent Fund in the United Kingdom and other key veterinary organizations, has developed the Vetlife program and Web site. Vetlife was created to help veterinarians, veterinary nurses, veterinary students and their families deal with suicide, illnesses, and legal, financial and other problems; refer to the Web site for more information (www.vetlife.org.uk).

Other veterinary associations such as Veterinary Ireland (VetAegis program) and the Australian Veterinary Association have similar support programs in place. At the CVMA Council meeting in November 2010, a task force of 3 Council members was struck and asked to collect information from provincial veterinary medical associations and licensing bodies, veterinary colleges and the CVMA insurance provider regarding existing veterinary support and wellness programs in Canada. The information will be presented to the CVMA Council later this year and recommendations from this task force will be considered. It is my hope that this will be the first step in creating a comprehensive national member wellness and support program for CVMA members, their families and their clinic support staff.

I would like to stress how effective communication skills are essential to the success and well-being of all veterinarians. Ongoing learning and support programs will enable Canadian veterinarians to maintain and improve these skills and also help to ensure their mental, physical and financial health.