At the AVMA convention in San Diego this month, one of the most compelling presentations that I attended was given by Dr. Jason Coe, assistant professor at Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Coe was a speaker in a series of talks sponsored by the Partnership for Preventive Care and Partners for Healthy Pets. The focus of his presentation was on “Communicating the value of preventive care.”
This is a concept that requires understanding and promoting a value proposition to the client for your services. The value proposition is defined (direct from Wikipedia) as “a promise of value to be delivered and a belief from the customer that value will be experienced.” Although veterinarians may understand the value proposition intellectually, we don’t always understand how our communication either supports client perception of value or, undermines it. Given contemporary challenges to the profession right now, communicating the value proposition of veterinary care is critical to our profession’s survival. So, what does this communication look like?
There is no single prescription or magic bullet for effective communication, but what Dr. Coe emphasized was that you can’t communicate value without being comfortable having a conversation about the costs of care. The two are inextricably linked. Integral to this communication is relaying the need for diagnostics or therapeutic options in terms of the value and benefit to the pet’s future health or quality of life.
The great news is that through the Partners for Healthy Pets initiative, many tools will be launching soon , including videos that demonstrate how to effectively communicate the value of preventive care. To read a related study, go to the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s website.
Communicating the value of preventive care to clients is a proposition that we, as veterinarians, can’t refuse if we want pets to get the care they deserve to live long, healthy, and happy lives.