By Dr. Rebecca Maher MA VetMB PGCert MRCVS CXAD(Dip)
Veterinary teams are experts when it comes to explaining complex things. We explain diagnoses, treatment plans, dosing instructions and preventative advice time and time again, day in, day out. We do so carefully, professionally and always with the best of intentions. And yet, many teams will recognise the frustration of discovering that something, which was so carefully explained, didn’t happen as planned.
Medication isn’t given as prescribed. Diets aren’t changed. Follow-up appointments aren’t booked. Advice is partially followed, misunderstood or simply abandoned. When this happens repeatedly, it can feel demoralising. It’s tempting to assume that clients weren’t listening, didn’t care enough, or we didn’t explain well enough.
In reality, the issue is rarely a lack of explanation. More often, it is a gap that exists between understanding something and acting on it. Bridging that gap requires a subtle but important shift in how we communicate: moving from explaining to enabling.
Why good explanations are not always enough
Consultations are cognitively demanding for clients. They are often worried about their animal, unfamiliar with clinical language and processing a large amount of new information in a short space of time. Stress and emotion reduce working memory, making it harder to retain and act on advice later.1
Research consistently shows that intention does not reliably translate into behaviour.1 Clients may fully intend to follow advice yet struggle to implement it once they return to the realities of home, work, family life and competing priorities. This is known as the intention-behaviour gap.
Veterinary professionals are also subject to the “curse of knowledge”. What feels straightforward to a trained clinician can be complex for someone without that background. Even when we explain something clearly, we may still be leaving clients without the practical scaffolding they need to act.
Addressing this means acknowledging what actually drives behaviour in the real world, and adjusting how we communicate to reflect that.
Consultations are cognitively demanding for clients. They are often worried about their animal, unfamiliar with clinical language and processing a large amount of new information in a short space of time.
Explaining versus enabling
Explaining focuses on information transfer. It prioritises clinical completeness and accuracy: what the condition is, what the treatment involves and why it matters. This is essential, but it is only one part of effective communication.
Enabling focuses on action. It considers what the client needs to do, when they need to do it, and how realistic that is in their day-to-day life. It shifts the emphasis from the information we need to share to the behaviour we’re trying to help embed.
Enabling communication involves taking the time to explore clients’ perspectives, routines and concerns – often described as relationship- or client-centred communication. A common fear that holds clinicians back from this is a worry that consultations will become longer, yet the evidence shows us that relationship-centred consultations are typically shorter than technically-focussed consultations. Small, intentional changes in language, structure and timing can help clients turn good intentions into real-world behaviour.
Small changes that make a big difference
1. Language – from abstract to actionable
The words we choose can either clarify or unintentionally make things murky. Advice that sounds reasonable in theory may be hard to translate into practice.
For example, “Try to give this twice daily” leaves room for interpretation and inconsistency. “Give this every morning after his breakfast and every evening before bed” is far more concrete.
Similarly, phrases such as “keep an eye on” or “reduce exercise” can be difficult for clients to act on confidently. Enabling language makes the behaviour explicit: what to do, when to do it and what it should look like.
Avoiding judgemental phrasing is equally important. Language that implies blame or failure can increase defensiveness and reduce follow-through. Neutral, supportive phrasing keeps clients engaged and open.
2. Structure – guiding without overwhelming
Many consultations fail not because too little information is given, but because too much is delivered at once. Enabling communication benefits from clear structure.
Signposting helps clients understand what matters most. Explicitly stating, “There are two key things I’d like you to focus on at home,” signals priority and reduces cognitive load. Limiting the number of actions discussed in one consultation increases the likelihood that they will be completed.
Summaries are most effective when they are framed around action rather than repetition. Instead of restating clinical detail, summarise the next steps: what the client will do, when, and what to expect as a result.
3. Timing – when advice is most likely to stick
Timing is often overlooked, yet it plays a critical role in behaviour. Advice given when a client is emotionally overwhelmed or focused on immediate concerns is less likely to be retained.
Checking readiness before offering detailed advice can be powerful. Simple phrases such as, “Would now be a good time to talk through how this will work at home?” respect the client’s emotional state and improve engagement.
End-of-consultation overload is another common issue. Clients are often least able to absorb information just as they are preparing to leave. Using follow-up touchpoints – nurse appointments, phone calls, written summaries or reminder messages – can reinforce key behaviours when clients are more receptive.
Checking understanding is not the same as checking capability
Many clinicians ask, “Does that make sense?” at the end of an explanation. While well-intentioned, this question often elicits a polite “yes”, regardless of the client’s true level of confidence.
Understanding what to do is different from being able to do it consistently at home. Enabling communication explores capability, not just comprehension.
Questions such as, “How does that fit into your usual routine?” or “What might make this tricky on busy days?” invite clients to consider practical barriers without feeling judged. Normalising difficulty (“A lot of people find this part awkward at first”) encourages honesty and problem-solving.3
This approach strengthens clinical advice by making it easier for clients to succeed.
The give-to-gain effect of enabling communication
Enabling communication does require veterinary teams to give a little. They need to be curious and see the situation through the client’s eyes. However, what is gained in return is significant.
Improved client follow-through leads to better patient outcomes and fewer repeat conversations that go nowhere. Clients feel supported rather than lectured, which strengthens trust and satisfaction. For teams, there is often less frustration and a greater sense that their efforts are making a tangible difference.
Most clients want to do the right thing for their animals. When follow-through falls short, it is rarely due to apathy. More often, it reflects the complexity of human behaviour under pressure.
There’s a common concern that exploring lifestyle, routines and client perspectives will slow consultations down. However, observational research in companion animal practice has shown the opposite. Consultations that included this broader, more relationship-centred communication were actually shorter, on average, than those focused purely on biomedical information.2
By shifting from explaining to enabling, veterinary teams can help bridge the gap between intention and action. The changes required are often small, but they can make a meaningful difference.
Simple, small adjustments, such as a clearer phrase, a well-timed question, or a more actionable summary, can improve outcomes for clients and patients, and make life easier and more rewarding for the veterinary teams who care for them. Put simply, when communication enables action, everyone gains!
References
- World Health Organization. Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for action. WHO; 2003.
- Shaw JR, Adams CL, Bonnett BN, Larson S, Roter DL. Veterinarian–client–patient communication patterns used during clinical appointments in companion animal practice. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2006;240(9):1086–1095.
- Rollnick S, Miller WR, Butler CC. Motivational interviewing in health care. Guilford Press; 2008.
To learn more, visit www.inside-minds.com, or check out Rebecca on social media.
Rebecca Maher is a vet, marketer and consumer psychologist. She’s the founder and Managing Director of InsideMinds, the marketing and communications consultancy that harnesses the power of behavioural science to help veterinary businesses turn more conversations into action, create engaged, loyal clients and make the lives of clinic teams easier.
Rebecca works with veterinary businesses to help them solve communication and behaviour change challenges, improve client experience and create marketing content which really works.
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