A newly released study has found that the rate of patient-inflicted injuries was significantly lower at veterinary hospitals with practicewide certification in stress-reducing animal care. The study, published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, confirms that low-stress handling benefits not only pets but also veterinary teams.
Editor’s Note: Learn more about this study in this Q&A with one of the authors
Veterinarians report three times more injuries than human medicine physicians and nine times more serious injuries. In 2021, the rate of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses per veterinarian was almost five times higher than the national average and higher than all other industries.
Although most published statistics refer to veterinarians, study respondents reported that veterinary technicians and assistants were most likely to be injured.
The financial impact of veterinary workplace injuries can be significant. According to the AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust, 72% of all injuries in 2019 were animal-related, and $4 million was paid out in workers’ compensation claims. The average claim filed by a veterinary worker is $2,741.
Workplace injuries also take a toll on veterinary teams’ emotional well-being. According to JAVMA, it is reasonable to assume that exposure to a high-risk environment could contribute to stress and burnout among team members.
Fear and stress can increase the likelihood that animals will react defensively or aggressively, leading to workplace injuries. Therefore, adopting stress-reducing techniques that limit physical restraint can reduce injury rates.
Study participants answered questions about their practice’s injury rates, the restraint methods, tools and medications used, injury protocols, and whether staff were certified in Fear Free, Low Stress Handling or Feline Veterinary Medical Association Cat Friendly techniques.
The study found that 3 out of 4 practices with hospitalwide certification reported injuries less than once a month, compared to only 45% of practices with some or no certified team members. Overall, practices that were not fully certified were 3½ times more likely to report injuries once a month or more frequently.
According to JAVMA, the study highlighted that adopting stress-reducing animal care benefits patients and can pay off in fewer injuries, less staff turnover and reduced liability.