WISE COACH®
For veterinarians who seek to use their experience and knowledge to educate and encourage their clients, acting as partners in developing a care plan for the pet.
What is WISE COACH®?
WISE COACH® is a new, evidence-based veterinary consultation guide to assist veterinarians in meeting the challenges of today’s practice, which include heightened client expectations and growing financial, legal, and regulatory concerns. The model includes important evidence-based communication tools in a veterinary specific schema. It utilizes a simple acronym to guide the veterinarian through the steps of an appointment; the acronym reflects the veterinarian’s desired role as a “coach” rather than an authoritarian figure, providing a guide for relationship-centered care.
Revised & Refined
The model was developed in 2010 by Dr. Clark at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine with the assistance and input of numerous colleagues in both private and university practice. Over the past ten years the WISE COACH® model has been taught to veterinary students at UC Davis and veterinarians in practice. The model has been repeatedly revised and refined, most recently by incorporating reminders related to the Fear Free® initiative to foster greater patient and client well-being.
Personalized Care
The individual steps of WISE COACH® lead the DVM confidently through the client consultation, including important reminders such as: greet the client and patient and ask non-medical questions to connect on a personal level, obtain informed consent in an ethical manner, set realistic expectations for care and communication, and (if appropriate) schedule the follow-up/procedure (forward booking for increased compliance), as just a few examples. This consultation model seeks to respect the individuality of each client and patient by providing personalized options and care, while advocating for the best outcome for each animal. WISE COACH® is for veterinarians who seek to use their experience and knowledge to educate and encourage their clients, acting as partners in developing a care plan for the pet.
Personalized Care
The individual steps of WISE COACH® lead the DVM confidently through the client consultation, including important reminders such as: greet the client and patient and ask non-medical questions to connect on a personal level, obtain informed consent in an ethical manner, set realistic expectations for care and communication, and (if appropriate) schedule the follow-up/procedure (forward booking for increased compliance), as just a few examples. This consultation model seeks to respect the individuality of each client and patient by providing personalized options and care, while advocating for the best outcome for each animal. WISE COACH® is for veterinarians who seek to use their experience and knowledge to educate and encourage their clients, acting as partners in developing a care plan for the pet.
Research
Click here to access the full JAVMA publication
In 2020 Dr. Jim Clark and Dr. Cassy Linder conducted a large cross-sectional on-line survey of 1,200 U.S. dog owners to assess the impact of the WISE COACH® consultation model on client perceptions and spending. Participants were randomly assigned to watch one of two staged client consultation videos with and without use of the WISE COACH® model. To reduce variability, the same veterinarian, same client, same patient, and same recommendations were used in both videos.
Both veterinarians proceeded through the same sequential steps of: 1) initiating the session; 2) gathering information; 3) explanation and planning; and, 4) closing the session. The Control consultation used a fairly minimalist approach, which didn’t include many of the specific tools included in the WISE COACH® model. Metrics measured include overall satisfaction, perceptions of the veterinarian, likelihood of following the veterinarian’s recommendations, likelihood to return and refer, and projected spending.
The veterinarian in the WISE COACH® video was rated significantly higher than in the Control video for first impression, skilled/knowledgeable, cares about me, cares about my pet, and communicates clearly, and was rated significantly lower than Control for rushed/abrupt. Participants who viewed the WISE COACH® video were significantly more likely to follow the veterinarian’s recommendations, return to see the veterinarian, and recommend the veterinarian. WISE COACH® participants were approximately 1.4 times more likely to approve the full recommended treatment plan and total projected spending was approximately 15% higher for WISE COACH® participants than Control in a single visit.