Factors associated with food‐animal producer visit‐specific satisfaction following on‐farm interaction with a veterinarian

Abstract

Background: Effective communication has been found to have positive associations with client satisfaction, client adherence and veterinarian satisfaction in companion animal medicine. Better understanding the role of communication on these outcomes, specifically producer satisfaction, is likely to benefit food‐animal medicine. Objectives were to identify factors associated with producer visit‐specific satisfaction following on‐farm veterinarian–producer interactions and evaluate the validity of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire for use in food‐animal medicine. Methods: A cross‐sectional sample of practicing food‐animal veterinarians and their producer clients were recruited in Ontario, Canada. Immediately following the veterinarian‐producer interaction, producers completed a questionnaire that assessed their visit‐specific satisfaction and their perception of the producer‐centeredness of the interaction. Veterinarians completed a questionnaire that assessed their perception of the interaction's producer‐centeredness. A linear regression model was developed to identify factors associated with producer visit‐specific satisfaction. Results: Forty‐one veterinarians and 207 producers participated. Factors associated with producer visit‐specific satisfaction included producer age (satisfaction decreased with age), producer gender (males less satisfied) and producer perception of producer‐centeredness score (satisfaction increased with producer perception of producer‐centeredness score). Conclusion: Findings raise awareness of the importance of a producer's perception of producer‐centeredness in food‐animal practice and encourage its use by food‐animal veterinarians in working towards positive outcomes.

Comparison of food‐animal veterinarians’ and producers’ perceptions of producer‐centered communication following on‐farm interactions

“…The VPPC compromises nine items and uses a four-point response format ( [1] not at all, [2] a little, [3] mostly, [4] completely). Reliability of the VPPC based on the current study population has been previously reported (Cronbach's alpha = 0.74) 9 and was considered acceptable. 14 A third veterinarian survey was administered after each data collection day.…”

“…Data collection has been previously described 9 . In brief, eligible food‐animal veterinarians in Ontario were enlisted to the study, using one of two different recruitment methods, a convenience sample (2018 and 2019) and a simple random sample (2019 only).…”

“…Producer participants were administered one survey, which they filled out immediately following the on‐farm veterinarian‐producer interaction. The survey asked the producers questions regarding demographics, the nature of the interaction, their relationship with their veterinarian and a measure of client satisfaction previously adapted for use in food‐animal practice 9,15 . The post‐visit producer questionnaire also included a measure of producer perception of producer‐centeredness (PPPC) previously adapted for use in veterinary medicine 13 from a validated measure of patient perception of patient‐centeredness from human medicine 7 and adapted for the present study in the same way that VPPC was (described above).…”

“…Data collection has been previously described. 9 In brief, eligible food-animal veterinarians in Ontario were enlisted to the study, using one of two different recruitment methods, a convenience sample (2018 and 2019) and a simple random sample (2019 only). In spring of 2018, a pilot study, involving a convenience sample of nine veterinarians recruited from the Dairy Health Management Continuing Education Program at the University of Guelph, was conducted.…”

“…The survey asked the producers questions regarding demographics, the nature of the interaction, their relationship with their veterinarian and a measure of client satisfaction previously adapted for use in food-animal practice. 9,15 The post-visit producer questionnaire also included a measure of producer perception of producer-centeredness (PPPC) previously adapted for use in veterinary medicine 13 from a validated measure of patient perception of patientcenteredness from human medicine 7 and adapted for the present study in the same way that VPPC was (described above). The PPPC compromises nine items and uses a four-point response format ( [1] not at all, [2] a little, [3] mostly, [4] completely).…”