How Recognition and Response to a Patient's Body Language and Behaviour can Facilitate Positive Veterinary Visits

There has been a recent move towards creating positive patient experiences during veterinary visits. Various initiatives aspiring to achieve this are creating awareness amongst veterinary professionals (Box 1). The aim is to build knowledge and confidence in caring for patients' behavioural health and emotional welfare, while attending to their clinical needs.

These initiatives are generating growing awareness of the concepts and ethics of patient-friendly practice (PFP) amongst the veterinary community. Resources such as those detailed in Box 1, along with peer-reviewed articles, such as those by Rodan et al (2011), Hetts et al (2004), Mills et al (2014), Hemsworth et al (2015), Hammerle et al (2015); and texts such as Overall (2013a) and Hedges (2014a), advocate for PFP, maintaining that it is achievable in day-to-day veterinary practice. They agree that PFP is beneficial for veterinary patients, staff and pet care-givers; and that educated, confident veterinary professionals are perfectly placed to provide and advocate for PFP. Overall (2013a) explains that the veterinary team should: care about behaviour and embrace behaviour as a core discipline, advocating staff to identify, understand and respond to emotional signals; modify the environment to improve the patient experience; and moderate human behaviour when handling patients.