Removing barriers in veterinary practice: simple ways to boost adherence to recommendations

In veterinary practice, we often think of behaviour change as something big and effortful. Encouraging clients to attend weight clinics, getting horse owners to engage in parasite counts rather than pre-emptively treating, or encouraging farmers to engage in proactive diagnostics – it can all feel like climbing uphill.

But behavioural science tells us that sometimes, it’s the smallest tweaks that make the biggest difference. By adjusting the way choices are presented and making it easier to choose the most appropriate path, we can guide clients towards better decisions for their animals - without the need for tonnes of effort.

Here we explore 3 simple ways to encourage vet clinic clients to make better decisions for their animals’ health.

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The power of defaults: setting clients up for success

A default is what happens if a client does nothing. They are hugely powerful drivers of behaviour because it takes effort (which we generally try to avoid) to move away from a default, and it can also feel more risky to change things than to leave them as they are. That means that most of us tend to stick with default options. That’s why pension auto-enrolment works so well: doing nothing means you’re already opted in!

In veterinary practice, setting helpful defaults can make the right behaviour the easy behaviour. For example:

• Instead of “See you next year!”, we can set the default by booking the next appointment before they or we leave
• Practices that automatically enrol clients in the health plan when they register set a powerful default

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Client nudges: making good choices more likely

While defaults are about what happens automatically, nudges are about how choices are framed and presented. Nudges don’t remove freedom - they simply make the desired action more visible, attractive, and socially reinforced. For example:

• In the waiting room, a poster that says “Most of our clients protect their pets year-round” uses social norms to encourage uptake
• Reminders framed as “Your next appointment is reserved for you - confirm here” are more effective than “Please call to book.”
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Nudges are most effective when they tap into what feels normal, easy, and socially expected.

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Reducing friction: clearing the path to adherence

Even with good defaults and clever nudges, clients can still get stuck if the process is clunky. Friction is anything that makes an action harder than it needs to be, and it only takes a small obstacle to derail good intentions.

• If clients must phone during office hours to order repeat medication, some simply won’t. Online ordering reduces friction.
• If online booking requires too much data entry or too many steps, more people will drop out. Every click counts!
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Reducing friction is about removing unnecessary effort, so the healthy choice is also simple and feels easy.

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Bringing it all together: better adherence, better outcomes

Defaults, nudges and friction aren’t separate tools. They’re three parts of a single approach: designing systems that help clients make good decisions without adding pressure or judgement.

1. Set smart defaults so inaction still leads to the right outcome
2. Use nudges to encourage and normalise the desired behaviour
3. Remove friction so there are no hidden barriers to following through
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So, what could you tweak today to make the biggest difference to your clinical outcomes?

At InsideMinds, we help practices use behavioural science to improve clients’ experience. Get in touch to learn more.