creatingpresentingestimates-vetpartners.docVIP

CREATING PRESENTING ESTIMATES Provided by Dr. Nan Boss on behalf of?VetPartners When it comes to client education, words matter. Using a word or phrase that has connotations or associations that you don’t intend can undermine your efforts to communicate. Most practice management consultants recommend using the words “Health Care Plan” rather than “estimate.” This is so you don’t think of a pet the same way you would think of car repairs. We are accustomed to the word estimate, however, and we know what it means, so I am using that word here. The most basic reason for an estimate is to be honest with your clients and don’t surprise them. The client has a right to an accurate estimate, an accurate prognosis, both long and short term, and an accurate idea of the care needs the pet will have once it goes home. Without this information he or she can’t make appropriate choices. Estimates should be given for both medical and surgical procedures. The rule of thumb is, if the patient enters the hospital the owner needs an estimate, but don’t forget estimates for X-rays, blood testing and outpatient care, such as a case being treated for vomiting or diarrhea on an outpatient basis. What will it cost today? What will it cost if treatments need to be repeated tomorrow? Even wellness care can add up to a shocking (to the client) total bill when you add in a year’s worth of heartworm pills and flea preventative, a senior wellness panel and maybe $50 of ear cleaner and ointment. Do not compromise the level of care you are offering due to fear of how the owners will react to the bill. Your job is to tell the client what the patient needs to get better quickly and with the least amount of risk and pain, or to stay healthy in the long run. How will you feel if you were afraid to offer the ECG and the pet dies under anesthesia? How would you want things done if this were your own pet? Ask them if this is the level of care they want for their pet. If it is, help them find a way to p