Sessions

Veterinary telemedicine, also referred to as online veterinary care, is gaining increasing importance in modern veterinary healthcare and may offer promising innovation opportunities for veterinary practices in Hungary. The aim of this study was to assess the social and professional perceptions of veterinary telemedicine and to examine the relationship between veterinarians’ and animal owners’ sociodemographic characteristics and their attitudes toward telemedicine services.

Two online questionnaires (16 items each) were designed using Google Forms™, one for veterinarians and one for animal owners. The first set of questions collected sociodemographic data, while the second examined attitudes toward telemedicine and the factors likely influencing them. The questionnaires were distributed via a link shared on veterinary and animal-owner mailing lists and Facebook groups. The veterinary questionnaire was available between 25 April and 30 June 2025, and the animal owner questionnaire between 2 May and 3 July 2025. In total, 204 veterinary and 404 animal owner responses were processed. Associations between opinions on telemedicine and sociodemographic background were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact statistical tests.

Results showed that 86.6% of animal owners had not yet used telemedicine, however, the majority (72.6%) indicated openness to such services, mainly for consultations (79.7%) and prescription requests (62.9%). Those with prior telemedicine experience emphasized speed (90.7%), avoiding animal transport (74.1%), and convenience (68.5%) as key benefits. Most owners considered a consultation under 10 minutes acceptable at a fee below HUF 10,000 (€25). Among the surveyed veterinarians, 46.6% had not yet provided telemedicine, but 79.4% indicated willingness to do so, with a perceived realistic fee of HUF 5,001–15,000 (€20-€60). The most frequently cited advantages were follow-up care after in-person visits (57.4%), more efficient data collection (52.9%), and electronic prescription writing (45.6%). Younger animal owners were significantly more likely to have used online services (p<0.001). Veterinarians’ age did not influence their willingness to provide online consultations but was associated with pricing preferences (p=0.0112).

In conclusion, telemedicine appears to be an economically viable opportunity for Hungarian veterinary practices, offering more efficient time management and flexible service delivery. However, its wider adoption requires the development of professional guidelines and a continuously evolving technological infrastructure.