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Attentive Listening

Orchestrating an Effective Consultation Communication Phases of a Consultation Attentive Listening

Listening is one of those skills that sounds very simple on the face of things, but it’s not always easy to achieve. To listen attentively, not only do you need to listen to the client, but you also need to understand what they said and respond appropriately. You should also reflect and retain the information for later in the consult and writing your notes. Suddenly, listening doesn’t sound quite so simple. But there are things that you can do to improve your listening skills, even in the context of a busy veterinary clinic.

Don’t interrupt! Now this one might sound obvious, but did you know that more than half of vets in one research study^[1] interrupted the client’s reply to their opening question? You might think that perhaps the clients in this just liked to talk a lot, but they also found that the average length of time before the client was interrupted was only 15.3 seconds. A client wants to feel like they were listened to. In fact, feeling listened to is linked to better medication adherence.^[2] So, try and let your client finish their answer, it could improve your patient outcomes.Pay attention. Again, this one seems obvious, but we’ve all found our attention wandering from time to time, particularly if trying to combine the history and physical exam. Give the pet the opportunity to relax whilst you focus on taking the history, and try your best to be cognitively and emotionally present.
Verbal affirmations. You can use a short verbal affirmation such as “I see”, “go on” or “of course”, to demonstrate to the client that you are taking on board what they are saying, just take care that you are not accidentally interrupting the client.
Communication isn’t just verbal. You can use body language to demonstrate to the client that you are listening. Examples of this would be using gestures such as a nod of the head and/or an empathetic facial expression.
Make eye contact. Eye contact is a good way of showing that you are listening whilst demonstrating your respect for the client and building trust. A lack of eye contact can be interpreted by a client as a lack of interest, so avoid using your computer to take notes and try not to start the physical examination whilst your client talks.
Look outward. Noticing the client’s verbal and non-verbal cues can allow you to gain a better understanding of their perspective on things. Clients may only indirectly refer to their ideas, concerns and expectations – listen out for these clues as they can help you out later when it comes to reaching a collaborative decision with your client.

^[1]Adams, C.L. and Frankel, R.M., 2007. It may be a dog’s life but the relationship with her owners is also key to her health and well being: communication in veterinary medicine. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 37(1), pp.1-17

^[2]Grave K, Tanem H. Compliance with short-term oral antibacterial drug treatment in dogs. J Small Anim Pract. 1999 Apr;40(4):158-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1999.tb03781.x. PMID: 10340244.

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^[1]Adams, C.L. and Frankel, R.M., 2007. It may be a dog’s life but the relationship with her owners is also key to her health and well being: communication in veterinary medicine. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 37(1), pp.1-17

^[2]Grave K, Tanem H. Compliance with short-term oral antibacterial drug treatment in dogs. J Small Anim Pract. 1999 Apr;40(4):158-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1999.tb03781.x. PMID: 10340244.

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