title: Information prescriptions: A tool for veterinary practices.
abstract: The Internet has become a major source of health information and has the potential to offer many benefits for both human and animal health. In order for impact to be positive, however, it is critical that users be able to access reliable, trustworthy information. Although more pet owners are using the Internet to research animal health information than ever before, there remains limited research surrounding their online activities or the ability to influence owners' online search behaviors. The current study was designed to assess the online behaviors and perceptions of pet owners after receiving either general or topic-specific information prescriptions as part of their veterinary appointment. Results indicate that nearly 60% of clients accessed the suggested websites and nearly all of these clients reported positive feelings about this addition to their veterinary services. These results suggest that offering information prescriptions to clients can facilitate better online searches by clients and positively impact both animal health and client satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sciences Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Kogan
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biomedical Sciences Department, NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schoenfeld-Tacher
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sciences Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sciences Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Hellyer
authors.affiliation: Clinical Sciences Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dowers
keywords: Client relations; Information prescription; Internet; Private practice