Evaluation of the implementation, frequency of use, type, and impact of veterinary emergency service pause systems

Objective

To determine the prevalence of veterinary emergency service pause systems (VESPSs) and describe aspects of implementation and perceived impact.

Design

Electronic questionnaire

Setting

Membership of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS).

Animals

None.

Interventions

None.

Measurement and Main Results

A questionnaire was distributed to 6176 VECCS members with 1168 responses. Seventy-six percent of the respondents were veterinarians. Ninety-one percent of respondents practice in the United States, with 74% of them working at 24/7 multispecialty practices. Eighty-seven percent of respondents indicated patient volume had increased, and 75% reported that a VESPS had been implemented between September 2020 and December 2021. Sixty-two percent reported that their emergency service had been paused or closed once per week or more. The top reasons for implementing a VESPS included excessive caseload and staffing shortages. A variety of methods were utilized to implement a pause. Sixty-nine percent reported their VESPS was less than ideal for effectiveness. Pause systems were reported to be highly supported by medical staff. Seventy-seven percent reported increased client frustration and complaints, and 57% reported staff were stressed from denying care. Of those who do not currently have a VESPS in place, 74% would prefer to have one.

Conclusions

VESPSs were in widespread use at the time of this survey, and most have been implemented between September 2020 and December 2021. The majority of VESPSs were employed to mitigate increased caseload and staffing shortages. Although VESPSs are largely supported by medical staff, drawbacks may include staff stress and client frustrations, and improvements are warranted.