Is it all change for vets from now on? Have your say.

25 June 2020

Following the successful launch of their recent COVID-19 report in April 2020, global communications agency, Pegasus, are asking veterinary professionals to share their thoughts on how COVID-19 continues to impact their lives in a quick 10 minute survey. This time the focus is on the future of the industry and how the “new normal” could impact veterinary professionals across the globe, which includes all clinical and non-clinical vets, nurses, practice support staff and veterinary students.

The survey closes at 9am GMT Tuesday 30th June – everyone that completes it will be entered into a free prize draw for the chance to win a 1 of 3 Amazon gift vouchers (up to the value of £200). The results will help animal health companies better understand how to best support and communicate with the veterinary profession beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents will also have the chance to join Pegasus’ veterinary insights panel for future opportunities to be involved in research relevant to their role.

It’s no surprise that the overwhelming majority of the 650+ respondents from the previous study, revealed that COVID-19 could really change the future of veterinary medicine.

Lizzie Erian-Round, Head Veterinary Healthcare Advisor at Pegasus said: “With lockdown measures easing, it is a good time to take a deeper dive into what the future looks like. And importantly, how veterinary professionals feel about it. No one has a crystal ball but those on the veterinary frontline are already getting a sense of what could lie ahead. And we believe it’s important they get to share their view of what good support and communications look like.

Our last wave of research indicated that COVID-19 could be a major catalyst for future digital innovation and have lasting consequences for the way we practice.  With that in mind we’ve focussed our new survey to be more forward facing”.

COVID-19 – What have we learnt from the previous study?

Over 4 in 5 (84%) of veterinary professional thought that the COVID-19 pandemic would change the way veterinary practices operate in the future.  And building on this, 78% thought more owners will buy their medicines online. However, there is a lot more of this story to tell; such as the role of telemedicine and the physical practice versus remote practice, so this new survey will look to interrogate this in more depth.

It also discovered that veterinary professionals’ concerns cover a wide variety of issues with almost half (48%) placing equal weight on worries in both their personal and professional lives.  Most respondents have expressed that they are worried about their exposure to COVID-19 at their work place (71%) as well as the impact of their mental wellbeing (68%) because of the pandemic. That is why the new piece of research will look into how well they have been supported through their workplace and the potential adaptations that will need to be made as a result of COVID-19.

If you would like to have your say and take part in the survey, follow the link here.

Anyone looking to receive a copy of the new report, which will be available in July, can get in touch by emailing animal@thisispegasus.co.uk.

Pegasus is an Ashfield company, part of UDG Healthcare plc. www.thisispegasus.co.uk or www.ashfieldhealthcare.com