Participants
Beth Venit, VMD, MPH, DACVPM, American Association of Veterinary State Boards, Washington, District of Columbia
Kate Boatright, VMD, Write the Boat, Grove City, Pennsylvania
Sarah L. Babcock, DVM, JD, Animal & Veterinary Legal Services, Boca Grande, Florida
Moderator
Katie Berlin, DVM
Dr. Katie Berlin: How can team members help with client conversations? Can they help gauge the client's impression and understanding of your recommendations?
Dr. Beth Venit: I think your team can certainly help relay a point if you're having trouble. Sometimes I'll give information to a client, then when a technician goes into the room, the client asks them, “What do you think I should do?” or “What does this mean? Is this really as bad as the vet says it is?” Having the team be aware of the conversations and understand what is going on with a patient can help with communication. These additional conversations, especially if they differ from your initial conversation, should also be documented in the medical record with the team member's initials or name.
Dr. Berlin: I'm really glad you said that because documenting conversations clients have with staff is not always part of the workflow, but it should be.
Dr. Kate Boatright: I'm a huge proponent of including the team in conversations with clients. Sometimes they can explain something more clearly when I feel like I'm going around in circles explaining the same thing and the client is still not quite getting it. I might say something like, “I need to step out of the room and check on another patient. I want to give you some time to process what we've talked about. I'll send a technician in to check with you, and then I'll be back to follow up.” A change like having a different person come in and reiterate in a different way can be helpful.
Dr. Venit: You want to be careful not to badger the client though. If you relay something, and the owner is unsure how they want to proceed, another clinician or a technician should not come in and give them the same message. It is important that the secondary team member reframes the conversation or explains it in a different way. Having everybody in agreement about your recommendations can only help.
Dr. Sarah Babcock: A team-based approach and having everyone on the same page is also important in clinics open several days a week for long hours, like emergency clinics. How you communicate with not only the client, but with team members, is critical. If you take a patient, but your shift ends and another clinician is taking over, how do you appropriately communicate so there are no differences of opinion or conflicts that may confuse the client? Protocols are important and underutilized in these situations. Get the team together and agree on protocols so everyone is on the same page.
Conclusion
Across this series, we have explored how the principles of spectrum of care can be thoughtfully applied in veterinary practice—from communicating effectively with clients to integrating practical treatment options, maintaining accurate medical records, and engaging the full veterinary team in decision-making. Together, these discussions underscore that spectrum of care is not about lowering standards, but about aligning clinical excellence with the realities of each patient, client, and situation. As clinics continue to navigate economic, ethical, and logistical pressures, adopting a spectrum-based approach offers a framework for delivering care that is informed by evidence and responsive to diverse needs.
Video and audio of the full discussion can be found on Clinician’s Brief: The Podcast at brief.vet/spectrum-of-care.