Developing communication competences among veterinary doctors Erasmus Project

Project Title

Developing communication competences among veterinary doctors

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

The project’s target group are professionally active veterinary doctors. The main target of the project was to create the training program and methodology dedicated for veterinary doctors in the subject of communication with client- owner of the animal.Veterinary doctors are a very specialized group of medical professionals that after graduating studies have to deal with various specific situations at the workplace. The situation on the European veterinary market is changing dynamically, and veterinary doctors are facing the problem of changing the attitude of their clients, their needs as well as more demanding attitude. This may be a serious barrier at work. Communication with a client (owner of animal) is a very specific type of contact. It involves personal communication skills, requires certain level of empathy but also knowledge how to guide the conversation with the client to receive necessary information to diagnose a problem efficiently, to communicate during animal – patient’s treatment and also to encourage client to continue the treatment till finishing of the whole medical process. Veterinary doctors in most of EU Member States do not have mandatory high education in the field of communication with client, owner of animal. There have not been so far educational standards or training programs in university veterinary faculties in personal communication at workplace. This means that there were no structured, guided recommendations on how to carry out such a training or education dedicated to this professional group. The Project has been created as a response to the needs of professional vocationally active group of veterinary medical doctors in the field of communication with a client- owner of animal. In order to deliver the project main result, the project strategic partnership consisted of KIKO Educational Solutions (Project Leader), Synolic, Charakis Research and Consulting went through the whole process of international research and solid preparation of the training. The partnership carried out project’s joint activities, transnational project meetings, we collected and exchanged knowledge, experiences and good practices in the field of effective and innovative methods of trainings in the subject of improvement of communication skills of veterinary doctors in their work with clients- owners of animal. The partnership carried out international analysis which outcome was the publication “Comparative analysis of the Medical Veterinary Doctors educational framework in the selected European countries”. The partnership also carried out research on educational needs of veterinary doctors in the communication with client – owner of animal and developed “An International comparative analysis of veterinary doctors educational needs in communication with client- owner of animal”. As additional activity, not planned at the stage of proposal preparation, partnership developed a research on needs of animal owners in the communication with veterinary doctors in selected European countries. The research on veterinary educational needs was carried out in the close cooperation with veterinary doctors, Veterinary Chambers, Veterinary Associations and organisations as well as state veterinary services. On the basis of carried out researches, analysis, collected knowledge, experiences and good practises, the advanced training program and its methodology dedicated especially for veterinary doctors, in the subject of interpersonal communication with owner of animal, was created, which is the final result of the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 42525 Eur

Project Coordinator

KIKO Educational Solutions Sp. z o. o. & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Charakis Research & Consulting Ltd.
• Synolic ppc