The structure of the small animal consultation

Abstract

This study shows that the consultation is a complex process that is often performed in an iterative and interactive fashion and that may be difficult to complete within the 10 minutes frequently allocated. This warrants further research.

Qualitative study of factors associated with antimicrobial usage in seven small animal veterinary practices in the UK

“…Consultations reportedly varied between 10 and 20 min. This is similar to a recent study in England where mean duration time of consultations was 14 min (Everitt et al, 2013). Lack of time during consultation was commonly described as a barrier to conduct further clinical investigations even when laboratorial facilities and equipment were available: "Yes, we do have a lab here, yes, with a microscope and we have a Dif-Quick stain and some things.…”

“…This has also been associated in healthcare systems with the overuse of AMs by practitioners treating patients with upper respiratory tract infections (Linder et al, 2003). Allocation of longer consultation times for new clinical conditions should be considered (Everitt et al, 2013), to allow the veterinarian to collect sufficient evidence to support their decision-making on the therapeutic plan to follow.…”

The attitudes of owners and veterinary professionals in the United Kingdom to the risk of adverse events associated with using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat dogs with osteoarthritis

“…Based on the focus groups data, it is likely that many veterinary surgeons do warn owners about at least some of the potential adverse events, though many commented on significant time pressures in the consulting room. Concerns about the length (Everitt et al, 2013, Robinson et al, 2014) and complexity (Robinson et al, 2015) of veterinary consultations have previously been raised and are likely to contribute to owners being unable to recall important information. Similar concerns have been raised by doctors prescribing NSAIDs (Mikhail et al, 2007).…”

The future of veterinary communication: Partnership or persuasion? A qualitative investigation of veterinary communication in the pursuit of client behaviour change

“…To support this shift, it is essential to have a detailed understanding of the language and communication strategies currently used in veterinary consultations, to ensure recommendations for communication improvements are meaningfully targeted. Current data have quantified language components typical of the veterinary consultation [6–8, 18, 19], however, in depth qualitative analysis of the mechanisms by which this is achieved within a consultation are not recorded.…”