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Remote consulting: Online procurement of pet supplies and willingness to pay for veterinary telemedicine
spotlight topic:
Remote consultations
Online procurement of pet supplies and willingness to pay for veterinary telemedicine
Published 19 August 2020
Widmar, N. O. et al. (2020) Online procurement of pet supplies and willingness to pay for veterinary telemedicine. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 181, 105073. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105073
This paper reports on an online survey of 1245 pet owners carried out in the United States. While part of the survey related to the demographics and procurement of pet supplies it also included a “choice experiment” asking about owners about their willingness to pay for telemedicine consultations at five different price points. It was made clear that the service, which would at least involve a phone call and could include video, was intended to provide information about further steps in the pet’s care and that an in person examination/office visit may still be needed. Both dog and cat owners indicated a willingness to pay most for telemedicine consultations with their regular veterinarian and least for a consultation with a veterinarian outside their community.
While this paper reports on research in the US and only involved hypothetical transactions, it does suggest that pet owners value the relationship they have with their regular veterinarian more highly, even when seeking online advice.