Awareness, perceived relevance, and acceptance of large animal hospital surveillance and infection control practices by referring veterinarians and clients.

This research article discusses a survey conducted to measure the awareness, acceptance, and perceived relevance of surveillance and infection control practices at a large animal hospital among both referring veterinarians and clients. The survey found that while awareness of these practices was higher among veterinarians, the practices were generally seen as justified and important by both groups.

Survey Methodology

• The study was conducted through a survey of 57 referring veterinarians and 594 clients who had sent at least one horse to the University of Florida Large Animal Hospital for veterinary care between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2011.
• The survey consisted of 15 questions focused on Salmonella enterica, a significant pathogen of interest in horses.
• The researchers used descriptive statistics, the χ(2) test, and the Wilcoxon rank sum test to analyze survey responses and examine relationships among variables of interest.

Survey Results

• Awareness of the hospital’s surveillance and infection control program was significantly higher among veterinarians (63%) than clients (39%). However, the response rate from both groups was relatively low.
• Almost all veterinarians (98%) and clients (97%) believed that testing horses for Salmonella shedding in feces upon admission and during hospitalization was justified.
• When asked to rate the importance of a referral hospital operating a surveillance and infection control program on a scale from 1 (not important) to 10 (very important), both veterinarians and clients assigned a median score of 10, indicating it as extremely important.

Conclusions

• The study concluded that while more veterinarians were aware of the hospital’s surveillance and infection control practices, both veterinarians and clients considered these practices key and well-accepted.
• The high acceptance and perceived relevance of these practices among both groups emphasize the importance of maintaining effective surveillance and infection control practices in large animal hospitals.