How to talk to pet owners about atopic dermatitis

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Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease that can be expensive for pet owners and requires long-term treatment. Speaking at the 2023 Fetch dvm360® Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Darren Berger, DVM, DACVD, emphasized the importance of a mutualistic approach in communicating with clients about the disease.¹

A mutualistic approach

Instead of taking a “directive approach” in which the clinician simply tells the client what to do, it's essential to involve clients in conversations and present them with the pros and cons of different treatment options. “If our clients are doing more what we asked them to do, by default, we get better therapeutic outcomes,” he explained. An added benefit of the mutualistic approach is a decrease in complaints and legal issues, Berger added.

Caregiver burden

Berger advised to empathize with the toll treatment may take on pet owners. “Once I've made the diagnosis of atopy, I've basically put a monthly price tag on the dog,” said Berger. “We're also going to be asking the owners to do something long term…and there really is this caregiver burden that comes along with it,” he added.

He explained that a well-controlled patient may cause less stress on the pet parents. However, treatment greater treatment complexity and difficulty can increase caregiver burden, leading to more negative mental effects. For this reason, Berger explains: “[Treatment] isn't just me trying to make the dog normal; it's trying to make the dog normal, as easily as possible, while involving the pet parent in that process.”

Challenging literature

To help pet owners understand the medical information related to atopic dermatitis, Berger suggests being aware of clients’ medical literacy. He explained that the general population's medical literacy rate in the United States is about a seventh-grade reading level, while veterinary allergy information is as high as an eleventh-grade reading level. There is a mismatch between what pet owners can comprehend and what they come across when searching for information on the disease. Berger advises controlling the language used and being mindful of what information pet owners may come across online.

The takeaway

Atopic dermatitis is a complex disease that requires long-term treatment, leading to a caregiver burden. Communicating with clients through a mutualistic approach that presents the pros and cons of different treatment options is crucial to improving therapeutic adherence and outcomes while improving relationships with clients. Additionally, being aware of medical literacy can help veterinarians communicate more effectively with pet owners and improve treatment outcomes.

Reference

1. Berger D. Canine Atopic Dermatitis: How a Dermatologist Discusses Atopy with Pet Parents. Presented at Fetch dvm360® Conference; Charlotte, North Carolina. March 24-26, 2023.