title: Analysing how negative emotions emerge and are addressed in veterinary consultations, using the Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequences (VR-CoDES).
abstract: To explore the applicability, need for modifications and reliability of the VR-CoDES in a veterinary setting while also gaining a deeper understanding of clients' expressions of negative emotion and how they are addressed by veterinarians.
  
  
  
  The Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequences for client cues and concerns (VR-CoDES-CC) and health provider responses (VR-CoDES-P) were used to analyse 20 audiotaped veterinary consultations. Inter-rater reliability was established. The applicability of definitions of the VR-CoDES was identified, together with the need for specific modifications to suit veterinary consultations.
  
  
  
  The VR-CoDES-CC and VR-CoDES-P generally applied to veterinary consultations. Cue and concern reliability was found satisfactory for most types of cues, but not for concerns. Response reliability was satisfactory for explicitness, and for providing and reducing space for further disclosure. Modifications to the original coding system were necessary to accurately reflect the veterinary context and included minor additions to the VR-CoDES-CC.
  
  
  
  Using minor additions to the VR-CoDES including guilt, reassurance and cost discussions it can be reliably adopted to assess clients' implicit expressions of negative emotion and veterinarians' responses.
  
  
  
  The modified VR-CoDES could be of great value when combined with existing frameworks used for teaching and researching veterinary communication.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, Australia. Electronic address: m.vijfhuizen@students.uu.nl.
authors.forename: Malou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vijfhuizen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: g.j.bok@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bok
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, USA; Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: smatthew@vetmed.wsu.edu.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Matthew
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological, Biomedical and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. Electronic address: lidia.delpiccolo@univr.it.
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Del Piccolo
authors.affiliation: School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, Australia. Electronic address: michelle.mcarthur@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McArthur
mesh_terms: D059019:Clinical Coding; D003142:Communication; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018634:Veterinarians; D014743:Videotape Recording
keywords: Concerns; Cues; Emotions; Triadic consultations; VR-CoDES; Veterinary communication