Veterinarians’ information prescription & clients’ ehealth literacy

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between pet owners' perceived health literacy skills (in finding, evaluating, and applying online pet health information) and using the information prescription (IP) provided by veterinarians about education on the internet. Methods: Thirty telephone interviews were conducted with pet owners approximately two weeks after completing a questionnaire of eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) followed by an IP which was provided by veterinarians in addition to pet owners’ customary veterinary services in a vet clinic at the center of Tehran, Iran. Qualitative and quantitative data were merged to explore differences and similarities among respondents with different eHealth literacy levels. Results: Results indicate that pet owners with a higher score of eHealth literacy more often accessed the suggested websites and reported positive feelings about this addition to their veterinary services. Similarly, among the 8-item self-reported eHealth Literacy skills list, perceived skills at evaluating and applying information were significantly associated with the use of IPs. Lastly, eHealth literacy level was significantly associated with the outcomes of prescribed information, such as veterinarian-client communication and learning outcomes. Conclusion: Disparities in the application of the veterinarian’s IPs for online pet healthcare information, and its outcomes are associated with different eHealth literacy skills. Veterinarians should collaborate with information specialists and librarians to perform education efforts to raise awareness on online pet health information quality and the impact of veterinarian-directed information prescription, especially among pet owners with low health literacy.