Communication Flashcards
What is the HCAB?
The human animal/human companion animal bond
Involves complex emotional responses throughout culture and economies
Independent of utility
What is attachment theory?
The dynamics of long term relationships (psychological connectedness) between people
Based on early childhood experience with primary caregiver impacting adult life
What are the main characteristics of attachment theory?
Seeking proximity
Distress at separation
Pleasure at reunion
Orientation to the caregiver
What are the different attachment styles?
Secure
Anxious
Avoidant
What is biophilia?
Love of life or living systems - the innate emotional affiliation of humans with organisms
What are the function of pets (relational value)?
Caring and responsibility roles - attachment
Social lubricant - more sociable when have animal around
Companion/friend
Generate feeling of security
Opportunities for play and fun
What is loss?
An ending
Or point of change
Or transition
What is bereavement?
Loss of a significant other
What is grief?
Reaction to loss
What are the types of loss?
Primary - loss of animal itself
Secondary - disruptions and stresses associated with loss eg. no more walks, going to vet etc.
Ambiguous - loss that leaves a question in the owners mind
Symbolic - the loss has a specific link to other losses
What are the models of grief for?
Are models rather than obligatory process - an attempt to understand it rather than what actually happens
What are some symptoms of grief?
Shock (denial)
Protest (anger, bargaining)
Disorganisation (depression)
Reorganisation (acceptance)
What determines what behaviours and emotions are felt surrounding loss?
Features of the relationship
Features of death
Personal circumstances
What features of a relationship can be determinants of grief?
Strong attachment or perceived social support/ relational value/ need
Ambivalence towards dead individual - not bothered, or guilty about not loving it enough
What features of death can be determinants of grief?
Sudden, unexpected
Traumatic or violent
Uncertainty whether death has occured
Potentially unavoidable - anger, guilt
Euthanasia
Accompanies other significant losses
What personal circumstances can be determinants of grief?
Age, sex, life stage, health
Financial issues
Other stresses/losses/parallels
Personality
Religious beliefs
Options for future
Why is euthanasia important?
It can relieve suffering - is an important part of caring for and loving an animal companion
Shorter lifespans means inevitably going to experience their end of life/loss
What grief is shown at first sign of deterioration/diagnosis which is specifically associated with the human animal bond?
Anticipatory grief
What type of grief is associated with euthanasia which is specifically associated with the human animal bond as its one of the only times euthanasia occurs?
Responsibility grief
What type of grief can occur in veterinary staff?
Responsibility grief - anticipating having to euthanase an animal
Some avoid the topic, some feel apathy, some feel embarrassment for feeling sad
What skills do you need when dealing with clients experiencing loss and grieving?
Compassionate communication skills - empathy
When is empathy thought to be developed?
At 7-12 years old
What is empathy?
Experiencing anothers point of view and conveying that sense of being understood back to the individual
What are two parts of empathy developed in childhood?
Emotional contagion - matching emotions
Emotional perspective taking - seeing things from another peoples point of view
What are the positives and negatives of being empathetic?
Positive - clinician wellbeing, meaningful work, job satisfaction
Negative - decline in empathy over time (burnout)
When do experience the greatest strain on emotions?
When negotiating challenging euthanasia decision making consultations
The desire to achieve a good death for the animal and their owner
What should you consider when communicating about euthanasia?
Preparation and planning
Informed consent
The euthanasia itself
Following the euthanasia
What is bad news?
Any information that changes a persons view of the future in a negative way
What does SPIKES stand for?
Setting up
Perception
Invitation
Knowledge
Emotions with empathy
Strategy/summary
What is the difference between an estimate and a quotation?
Estimate - estimation of the likely costs of a procedure/product
Quotation - represents a fixed price
What proportion of dogs are insured in the UK?
70%
What proportion of cats are insured in the UK?
40%
What is usually not covered by insurance policies?
Pre-existing conditions
What insurance policy gives the highest level of cover?
Life time policy
What model is useful when dealing with anger? What are they?
The 5 As
Acknowledge
Allow
Affirm
Agree
Assure
What are the two main types of reasoning?
Type 1 - non-analytical, pattern recognition
Type 2 - analytical, inductive, deductive, hypothetical reasoning
What are the pros and cons of type 1 (non analytical) reasoning?
Fast, requires little effort, frequently gets right answer, prevents cognitive overload
But subject to error and bias, high emotional attachment to ability to pattern recognise
What are the pros and cons of type two (analytical) reasoning?
Systematic, reliable, rarely wrong, less likely to miss something, resists bias
Relies on working memory, slow, high effort
What can you use when there is still no diagnosis despite using type 1 and 2 reasoning?
Test of treatment - response to treatment to confirm
Test of time - can be used where case not urgent (no red flags)
How many cases end in diagnosis?
Less than 50%
What decisions about cases are made other than evidence related clinical reasoning?
Resources available
Client resources - time, finance
Value of patient
Ethics
Social
What two terms relate to the medicine taking behaviour of the patient?
Compliance and concordance
What is concordance?
The establishment of a therapeutic alliance between the clinician and the patient
What is compliance?
Whether the client is doing what the clinician advises
What are some causes of patient non adherence to medication?
Social
Ethical
Financial
Health related
Relationship with medical professionals
Animal factors
COnfusion
What is motivational interviewing?
Trying to persuade people by having themselves discover the reasoning rather than be told by others
What model is used in motivational interviewing?
Stages of change model
The readiness ruler
What are the 6 things of the stages of change model?
Pre-contemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Action
Maintenance
Relapse
(In a circle)
