Issues associated with the application to veterinarians of a mailed questionnaire regarding lower respiratory-tract disease in racehorses.
This study evaluated a questionnaire investigating the attitudes and behaviours of veterinarians regarding the cause, diagnosis and treatment of lower respiratory-tract disease in racehorses. The questionnaire was sent to all non-student members (648) of the Australian Equine Veterinary Association: two mailings and a single telephone contact (each separated by four weeks). Subsequent phases were only administered to those who had not responded to earlier phases. In total, 467 (72.1%) of the 648 mailed questionnaires were returned. Of these, 354 were usable. The remaining 113 respondents gave various reasons for not completing the questionnaire; the most common (68%) was that horses were not a component of their practice. Those respondents working primarily with horses required fewer phases to return the questionnaire. Although deviating from previously described questionnaire designs, the described protocol provided a reasonable response rate.
Christley
R M
RM
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Sydney, 2006, Sydney, Australia. rchristley@vet.gla.ac.uk
Rose
R J
RJ
Hodgson
D R
DR
Reid
S W
SW
Evans
S
S
Bailey
C
C
Hodgson
J L
JL
D000818:Animals; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D012606:Scotland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D018634:Veterinarians / Q000523:psychology; D014730:Veterinary Medicine