Phone Triage Masterclass with Vetmedology and Dr. Shadi Ireifej presented on April 4, 2024 скачать в хорошем качестве

Phone Triage Masterclass with Vetmedology and Dr. Shadi Ireifej presented on April 4, 2024

Ireifej S, Krol J. Case studies of fifteen novel species successfully aided with the use of a veterinary teletriage service. Front Vet Sci. 2023 Dec 5:10:1225724. doi: 10.3389/ fvets.2023.1225724. PMID: 38116509. The veterinary medical field is constantly growing and evolving. Embracing the growth of readily available video conferencing, and potentially spurred by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic causing the public to seek alternatives to physical contact for medical advice at their local veterinary clinic, the use of long-distance advice or telehealth is a rapidly developing field in its own right. Here we present case studies using a teletriage service, VetTriage, to provide health care advice to clients with underserved species including presenting complications, actions taken during the session, medical advice given, and follow-up of the case when possible. In addition to the everyday difficulty of accessing rapid medical care in recent years, there are households with underserved animal groups such as exotics (small mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, etc.), found wildlife, and in some areas of the country, large animals (horses, cows, etc.). Teletriage services have the potential to reach these underserved animal groups providing a vital service where otherwise no help may be available. Approximately 57% of U.S. households own pets (1, 2). Where there are over 48 million households owning dogs, over 31 million keeping cats, over 3.5 million having birds, and almost a million owning horses, there are far fewer households that own other small mammals (ferrets, rabbits, etc.), reptiles, fish, and other less commonly known or acquired species1. According to Animal Sheltering Pets by the Numbers, in 2017 the number of dogs was estimated at 89.7 million and the number of cats was estimated at 94.2 million2. In Great Britain, dogs make up 64.8% of the veterinary-visiting population, with cats, rabbits, and other species making up 30.3, 2.0, and 1.6%, respectively (3). Additionally, pet ownership is highest in more rural states of the United States, making up 65–72% of households each in Wyoming, West Virginia, Nebraska, Vermont, and Idaho1. Coinciding with the low numbers of owned non-dog and non-cat small mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish in the United States and Great Britain, and the high number of pets owned overall in more rural regions of the United States, access to veterinary care for those less acquired species in rural demographics becomes difficult. A recent press release shows that pet ownership has increased from an estimated 67% of U.S. households that own a pet to an estimated 70% (4). Within that same study, 14% of the respondents (pet owners and non-pet owners) obtained a new pet during the COVID-19 pandemic (4). The species type and percent acquired that were influenced by the pandemic are as follows: saltwater fish (60%); dogs (47%); birds (46%); small animals (46%); cats (40%); freshwater fish (34%); reptiles (27%); and horses (27%) (4). The majority of U.S. practices are private (60.5%) and either companion animal exclusive (57.9%) or companion animal predominant (15.8%), leaving pet owners of non-dog and non-cat small mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish with limited or without access to local veterinary care (5). As an increasing number of minor species are acquired as pets, the demand for their veterinary care will continue to grow. In human medicine, access to care in rural areas also poses a challenge with several studies demonstrating the utility of telemedicine to help fill this void. Medical examples where telemedicine improved patient access to care in rural regions include acute pediatric trauma (6), care of ICU patients that otherwise lacked 24-h critical care physician coverage (6, 7), autism assessment and treatment (8), and surgical assessment pre-operatively and post-operatively (9). As telehealth/medicine has been shown to have great benefits in the medical world for humans, its application in veterinary medicine is beginning to be explored, especially for species that are underserved in their region or minor species overall. Here we outline 15 telehealth cases of animal species that are considered either less conventionally owned or with whom telehealth services have not been reported for the purposes of medical triage. Herein, we report 15 novel animal species served with a telehealth service. In addition, the reported cases did not have access to timely or geographically available physical veterinary care. The cases described were triaged with the use of a novel teletriage video platform on an emergency basis by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). We herein report one of each species: squirrel, sugar glider, pleco fish, tortoise, chinchilla, sea otter, pig, ball python, hen, horse, rabbit, goat, duck, gecko, and ferret. All animals were assessed virtually utilizing synchronous video and audio teleconferencing using proprietary software (http://vettriage.com).