Busy schedules may cause veterinarians to want to avoid open-ended questions for fear of lengthy conversations; however, data from human medical studies show that asking open-ended questions does not lead to lengthy answers. In one study of new patients presented to an internal medicine clinic, patients were asked, “What brings you to the clinic today?” and were allowed to speak, uninterrupted, until finished.14 Patients spoke for an average of 92 seconds before indicating they were finished, and approximately 80% of patients were finished within 2 minutes. The doctors interviewed for the study felt that the information they received in these opening statements was relevant.
Veterinarians often interrupt pet owners during the owner interview; in one study, a median time of only 11 seconds elapsed from the onset of the owner speaking to an interruption by the veterinarian.5 Such interruptions can prevent an owner from giving important medical details and can create a barrier to building a positive relationship.
Open-ended questions should be followed with reflective listening, which involves repeating or paraphrasing parts of the story back to the owner to verify certain details (eg, “It sounds like Leo had 2 episodes of vomiting this morning.”). Reflective listening can also allow the veterinarian to show his or her understanding of the owner’s feelings (eg, “It sounds like you are worried about how we will keep Leo comfortable after surgery.”). Reflective listening gives the owner the opportunity to verify information or correct the veterinarian if any part of the message has been misinterpreted.3,4