Prioritising owner education and boosting client engagement

A referral vet sits at their desk, advising a client

We at HeartVets are strong advocates for owner education and dedicate a large proportion of our time to explaining diagnoses, discussing treatment options and drug choices, planning for disease progression, and following up on patient progress by telephone and email.

We know that this level of client interaction is a privilege of referral work. Starting out in general practice before specialising means every HeartVets cardiologist understands only too well the pressure of limited consult times and juggling busy caseloads. We are also incredibly fortunate to work alongside our cardiology nurses, who are invaluable in helping us deliver the best possible care for our patients.

Before we continue, you may be interested in our one-page flyer highlighting our top four owner resources – ready for you to easily download and print.

Download it here

Although investing further in client education feels like it will increase workload, the initial effort has the opposite effect in the long run. Owners who understand their pet’s disease process are more confident in making treatment decisions, better at recognising important clinical signs, and more accepting of the need for ongoing monitoring (while being far less tempted to consult Dr Google).

Setting expectations early creates a far more collaborative journey through chronic disease, where follow-up visits are seen as part of ongoing care rather than isolated costs. And when continuity with one vet is not always possible, good early education makes handovers between colleagues smoother for everyone involved.

So how can this work in general practice?

We know we cannot magic up longer consult slots, and we certainly do not expect detailed cardiac counselling to be squeezed into every five-minute gap! But with a few small, practical tweaks – and good use of your nursing team – effective client education is entirely achievable. If you have nurses with a particular interest in cardiac patients, even better. Our six, simple, (realistic) strategies include:

Basic visual teaching

Using a laminated heart diagram and a whiteboard pen to demonstrate structural changes is quick, paper-free, and highly effective. Owners can even take a photo to revisit at home.

Talk now, read later

Keep the in-consult explanation focused on key messages, then follow up with an information sheet or an email/text with trusted links – a ‘discharge pack’ of sorts. Owners often take in far more once they are out of the consult room and back at home.

Plant the seed, book in a deeper dive

This might take the form of:

  • A revisit appointment with a vet (the patient may not need to attend)
  • A scheduled telephone consultation
  • Nurse consultations (booked as a series or individual slots) to cover monitoring tools (sleeping respiratory rate, syncope diaries, abdominal distension), blood and urine tests, medication schedules and administration tips, alongside diet and weight management. Monitoring for cardiac cachexia and appetite changes is particularly important in these patients.

A little extra time at discharge

Client information eveningsReferral remains validHow can HeartVets help you educate owners? Under the ‘Information’ tab on our website, you will find the Owner Information section. This includes downloadable information sheets on a wide range of cardiac conditions and surgical procedures, guidance on monitoring sleeping respiratory rate, referral FAQs, videos and case spotlights.

Our social media pages on Instagram and Facebook has great tools for vets, nurses and owners alike. There are concise educational posts directed toward each audience, alongside updates, events, behind the scenes and HeartVets Heroes.

For those patients you diagnose with cardiac disease, we have also created a simple one-page flyer highlighting our top four owner resources. It’s ready for you to download, print and use directly in practice!

Download it here

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