Skills for communicating empathy to companion animal clients

Abstract

In veterinary clinical interactions, expression of empathy by veterinary surgeons is associated with higher client and veterinary surgeon satisfaction. Evidence from human medicine suggests that empathy is also associated with increased diagnostic accuracy, increased treatment adherence, and decreased malpractice risk. However, veterinary surgeons often fail to communicate empathy to animal owners. Perceived lack of empathy is one of the most common causes of formal complaints from veterinary clients. To increase client satisfaction and reduce the risk of complaints, it has been recommended that veterinary surgeons improve their ability to convey empathy to clients. This article will discuss skills to communicate empathy to veterinary clients and describe how to avoid empathy pitfalls.