Communicating biosecurity information to Australian-registered veterinarians

Objective: Updating veterinarians (vets) on the latest biosecurity resources, information and alerts is important to ensure protection of domesticated and native animals. This preliminary questionnaire aimed to better understand the communication preferences of Australian-registered vets for biosecurity information, and their trust of these sources. Methods: An online questionnaire asking vets about their current communication preferences for biosecurity information, and their level of trust of these was created and distributed to Australian-registered vets. Results: Survey respondents (158) use and highly trust communication from (in order) vet and animal health organisations, vet surgeons' boards, the scientific literature, and government agencies. Conclusions: This preliminary study identifies that using vet surgeon's boards, government agencies and vet and animal health organisations may be an effective means for communicating biosecurity information to vets. Future research should consider which sources vets trust and why, to facilitate effective communication to them and the clients they serve.