Pet owners and the internet

Oxley, James A.; Eastwood, Bronwen; Kogan, Lori R.

doi:10.12968/coan.2017.22.6.358

Cited by 20 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…However, the Internet is an extensive resource and thus there is the risk for pet owners to access inaccurate and unreliable information, potentially influencing pet health and veterinarian–client relationships (4, 5). This has been previously demonstrated, as Taggart et al (6) evaluated 44 website related to canine cruciate ligament disease and found that the quality of website contents varied and was influenced by both terminology used and if the website was authored by a veterinarian.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

United Kingdom Veterinarians’ Perceptions of Clients’ Internet Use and the Perceived Impact on the Client–Vet Relationship

et al. 2017

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The Internet is a commonly used resource for accessing health information. Despite the Internet’s popularity in the human health field, little is known about the Internet’s impact on veterinarians, their clients, and the veterinarian–client relationship. The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of veterinarians from the United Kingdom of clients’ use of the Internet and the perceived impact on pet health and the veterinarian–client relationship. A survey was distributed between January 4 and March 3, 2017, via an online link. In total, 100 veterinarians completed the survey. This study found that most UK veterinarians feel their clients access the Internet to find pet health information, yet often do not understand what they read online. Importantly, 40% of veterinarians stated that the Internet has a negative impact on companion animal health. This small-scale study found mixed opinions regarding veterinarians’ perceptions of their clients’ use of the Internet and the potential impact it has on the client–veterinarian relationship. Research on clients’ actual use of the Internet and their associated perceptions is a next logical step.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

United Kingdom Veterinarians’ Perceptions of Clients’ Internet Use and the Perceived Impact on the Client–Vet Relationship

et al. 2017

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“…Many UK and US pet owners turn to the internet over other sources for their pet health information . Despite the obvious benefits of online pet health information, there are also disadvantages, including a wide variance in accuracy of content, varying accuracy of website authors, user privacy concerns and the potential for reader misinterpretation …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3,4 Despite the obvious benefits of online pet health information, there are also disadvantages, including a wide variance in accuracy of content, varying accuracy of website authors, user privacy concerns and the potential for reader misinterpretation. 5,6 Research investigating veterinarians' perceptions of their clients' use of the internet in relation to seeking pet health information has been conducted in the US 4 and UK. 9 However, to the authors' knowledge, no research on this topic has been conducted with Australian veterinarians.…”

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confidence: 99%

Pilot study of Australian veterinarians and their perceptions and experiences related to online pet health information

Kogan

Oxley²,

Hazel

2019

Aust Veterinary J

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Objective Investigate Australian veterinarians’ perceptions of clients’ use of the internet to find pet health information. Methods An anonymous online survey was distributed using social media, e‐newsletters and veterinary magazines. Results A total of 85 complete responses were obtained from Australian veterinarians. Most (80%) reported believing that > 80% of their clients have access to the internet at home or work, but 68% thought that the majority of their clients do not understand what they read online. Attitudes regarding the impact of online pet health information on the veterinarian–client relationship were mixed (56% reported negative impact and 33% a positive impact), as well as for clients’ use of the internet for information on companion animal health (47% reported negative impact and 38% a positive impact). When asked how often they suggest specific websites to their clients (‘information prescriptions’), the majority of veterinarians reported that this is done infrequently. Conclusion This pilot study highlighted the perception of Australian veterinarians of their clients’ use of the internet to find pet health information. It also highlighted the need for a large‐scale, detailed survey of Australian veterinarians and their views in relation to pet owners and their use of online information. This should include evaluation of information prescriptions and their potential benefits for clients and patients.

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“…Website security and privacy settings are important aspects to consider for both pet owners and veterinary staff . Yet, even when websites are secure, current, unbiased and accurate, there is still a risk for misinterpretations by the user …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…15 Yet, even when websites are secure, current, unbiased and accurate, there is still a risk for misinterpretations by the user. 16,17 Given the rise of animal health-related websites, it has been questioned whether they are replacing veterinarians as pet owners' main source of pet health information. As Kogan et al 10 reported, even though growing in use and popularity, the internet has not replaced veterinarians as the primary source for pet health information.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A pilot study of Australian pet owners who engage in social media and their use, experience and views of online pet health information

Kogan

Hazel

Oxley³

2019

Aust Veterinary J

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Objective The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of Australian pet owners' use of the internet for pet health; how trustworthy they rate various pet health information sources and the use of online information in subsequent veterinary consultations. Method An anonymous questionnaire was developed, consisting of 30 questions, and distributed between March 2018 and May 2018 using convenience sampling through social media venues including Facebook and Twitter. All respondents were over the age of 18, lived in Australia and owned a pet animal. Results A total of 228 responses were received. The most common sources of pet health information were veterinarians (88.2%) and internet websites (81.1%). Most respondents reported using the internet ‘many times per day’ at either home or work. The majority of respondents used the internet to seek pet health information either ‘not weekly but at least once a month’ or ‘less than once a month’. Nearly half of the respondents stated that they only ‘sometimes’ discuss their online findings with their veterinarian. Approximately one half of respondents agreed with the statement that online pet health information had affected their decision about whether to take their pet to the veterinarian. Conclusion This study assesses how pet owners use the internet for pet health information and the role veterinarians can play in helping to facilitate these searches with tools such as information prescriptions. Further large‐scale research is needed to help further understand this increasingly important aspect of pet health.

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Pet owners and the internet

Cited by 20 publications

References 5 publications

United Kingdom Veterinarians’ Perceptions of Clients’ Internet Use and the Perceived Impact on the Client–Vet Relationship

United Kingdom Veterinarians’ Perceptions of Clients’ Internet Use and the Perceived Impact on the Client–Vet Relationship

Pilot study of Australian veterinarians and their perceptions and experiences related to online pet health information

A pilot study of Australian pet owners who engage in social media and their use, experience and views of online pet health information

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