Communication skills of veterinary practitioners in Türkiye.

Abstract

Objective: The objective was to assess communication skills of veterinary practitioners in Türkiye and to examine influences of sociodemographic characteristics on these skills.

Participants: A total of 615 actively employed veterinary practitioners were recruited.

Procedure: The study population comprised veterinarians actively engaged in clinics, polyclinics, or animal hospitals in Türkiye. The Communication Skills Inventory, consisting of 45 items and 3 sub-factors, was used as the data collection tool. Visits were conducted across 14 selected provinces representing 7 geographical regions of Türkiye. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 615 veterinary practitioners and data were collected during sessions averaging 25 min in duration.

Results: In this study, 68.1% of the participants were male, 56.1% were between 23 and 33 y old, 23.6% were employed in the Marmara region, 29.8% had been active in clinical practice for < 5 y, and 75.3% were working primarily with pets. In addition, 81.8% had not received communication training, 92.8% lacked ethics training, and 93.3% were not affiliated with professional organizations. The average total score of veterinarians from the Communication Skills Inventory consisting of 45 items and 3 factors was (mean ± SD) 148.6 ± 11.2 points; therefore, communication skills of these veterinarians were generally at a good level.

Conclusion and clinical relevance: Parameters other than gender influenced the communication skills of veterinary practitioners. Communication-skills scores were higher among those serving the pet group, those with < 5 y of active clinical experience, individuals aged 23 to 33 y, and those who had received communication and ethics training and were actively involved in professional organizations. To identify specific factors influencing communication skills of veterinary practitioners and to implement practices based on the findings, qualitative research is recommended. Such studies should include not only veterinary practitioners but also animal owners and veterinary team members with whom they interact.