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Equine veterinary journal2025; doi: 10.1111/evj.14537

Equine veterinarians’ care priorities regarding vaccination, colic, lameness and pre-purchase scenarios.

Abstract: Equine veterinarians play a crucial role in maintaining equine health and ensuring client satisfaction. Understanding their perspectives on key aspects of veterinary care is essential for optimising outcomes for both clients and horses. Objective: To identify and compare the importance equine veterinarians place on seven key aspects of client satisfaction in equine veterinary practice (quality of care, quality of service, horsemanship, interpersonal skills, transfer of knowledge, financial aspects and professionalism) across four different scenarios. Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study. Methods: A total of 246 equine veterinarians participated in the online survey, which included ranking the seven aspects of equine veterinary care across four scenarios. The data were analysed using Friedman tests to assess differences within and across scenarios, followed by Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Bonferroni correction for post-hoc comparisons. Fisher's exact test and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine differences between groups of veterinarians. Results: Quality of care was ranked most important in the colic (median rank: 1, interquartile range [IQR]: 1-2) and lameness (median rank: 1, IQR: 1-2) scenarios (p < 0.001), reflecting the critical nature of these conditions. Quality of service showed no differences in ranking across the scenarios. Professionalism was ranked significantly more important in the pre-purchase scenario (median rank: 2, IQR: 1-3) compared to other scenarios (p < 0.001). Financial aspects were consistently ranked least important (median rank: 7, IQR: 6-7, p < 0.001). No differences in ranking were found between different groups of veterinarians. Conclusions: Participants may not accurately represent the diversity and characteristics of the entire equine veterinary population. The scenarios do not fully encompass the diversity of equine veterinary practice. Conclusions: Equine veterinarians prioritise quality of care, quality of service and professionalism in their practice, with some variations depending on the clinical scenario. Financial aspects were consistently given the lowest priority.
© 2025 The Author(s). Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2025-06-01 PubMed ID: 40452182DOI: 10.1111/evj.14537Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This research examines equine veterinarians’ views on the importance of seven key aspects of veterinary care in four specific clinical situations. The study revealed that these professionals prioritize the quality of care, service and professionalism, but regard financial aspects as least crucial.

Study Design

  • The research employed a cross-sectional survey design. It aimed to understand and compare equine veterinarians’ attitudes on certain important aspects of their practice, grouped specifically into seven categories: quality of care, service quality, horsemanship, interpersonal aptitudes, knowledge transfer, financial aspects, and professionalism.
  • The study involved four healthcare scenarios: vaccination, colic, lameness, and a pre-purchase situation. These were chosen based on their relevance and frequency encountered in equine veterinary practice.

Data Collection and Analysis

  • A total of 246 equine veterinarians participated in the online survey, which asked them to rank the seven factors in each of the four case scenarios.
  • Statistical analyses, including Friedman tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Bonferroni correction, Fisher’s exact test, and Kruskal-Wallis tests, were used to decipher differences within and across scenarios, as well as between different veterinarian groups.

Results

  • The Quality of care was rated the highest in colic and lameness situations, indicating the emergency and critical nature of these conditions.
  • Professionalism was determined significantly more relevant in pre-purchase scenarios, reflecting the need for precise and truthful communication in these situations.
  • Quality of service displayed no variance in ranking across the four scenarios, suggesting a universally high level of importance.
  • Financial aspects, contrastingly, were consistently ranked as the least important across all scenarios, suggesting that other factors take precedence over cost considerations.
  • The study found no differences in priorities between diverse groups of veterinarians, pointing to a general consensus in the profession regarding the significance of these factors.

Limitations and Conclusions

  • As with any study, there are limitations to consider. The participants may not represent the full range of diversity and characteristics inherent to the entire population of equine veterinarians, and the selected scenarios might not capture all possible clinical situations they face.
  • Despite those limitations, the study concludes that equine veterinarians prioritize the quality of care, service, and professionalism in their practice, with some small variations depending on the clinical scenarios. Financial considerations remained a low priority regardless of the case encountered.

Cite This Article

APA
Elte Y, Wolframm I, Vernooij H, Nielen M, van Weeren R. (2025). Equine veterinarians’ care priorities regarding vaccination, colic, lameness and pre-purchase scenarios. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14537

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Elte, Yteke
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Wolframm, Inga
  • Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Velp, The Netherlands.
Vernooij, Hans
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Nielen, Mirjam
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
van Weeren, René
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

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