Increasing adherence in practice: making your clients partners in care

Clients may appear compliant but may not fully adhere to recommendations made by the veterinarian or veterinary technician for many reasons. Client adherence is directly related to one's communication skills, which can be practiced by all members of the health care team in each client encounter. The four habits approach to enhancing communication skills has been tested in a large human health care organization and shown to result in greater satisfaction between patients and doctors as well as in improved adherence to recommendations. This model is easily adapted to small animal practice and provides the foundation for a relationship-centered approach to care.