Asking the right questions.pdf

36 Asking the Right Questions:Taking a Behavior History Jeannine Berger, DVM, DACVB, DACAW, CAWA San Francisco SPCA San Fr ancisco, CA The goal of this presentation is to improve history taking skills which are necessary for examination and creating a behavior problem list. Communication skills as well as knowledge about how and what to ask during an appointment are discussed . Specific questions vary depending on what type of problem will be addressed; however, the general framework provided in this presentation will a llow a clinician to create plete behavior problem list. History t aking Taking a history from a client is a necessary skill for any practicing veterinarian, whether you are a specialist, or not. Specifically within behavioral medicine, compiling plete history and detailing the results of behavioral observations are the main aspects for reaching a conclus ion. Hence, a large portion of any behavior appointment is dedicated to getting plete history. A good history will allow the practitioner to identify all the problems, continue on the path to create a list of differentials, which will eventually lea d to the road that takes the clinician to the destination – the diagnosis, hopefully. History taking skills munication skills as well as knowledge about what to ask and how to ask it. Not only, but especially within behavior medicine, asking the right question or asking the question in the right way will help tremendously in reaching a diagnosis, because fancy diagnostic tests are not ( yet) available to the veterinary behaviorist. Most veterinary behaviorists require the clients to fill out a lengthy history form (example: https://avior-training/behavior-consultations ) and will review them prior to meeting with the client and the patient to save on appointment time. This process also helps greatly for asking specific questions in order to arrive at a diagnosis more efficiently. The goal of this presentation is to lead the practitioner to