Development and evaluation of a mobile application intervention for emergency preparedness and triage practices among veterinary personnel

Veterinary emergencies require rapid recognition, structured triage, and coordinated
response; however, emergency preparedness within general veterinary practice is often variable.
This study aimed to assess emergency preparedness and triage practices among veterinary
professionals in Malaysia and to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of a newly developed
veterinary emergency mobile application.
A cross-sectional pre–post intervention design was used. One hundred veterinary
professionals completed a pre-intervention survey assessing emergency preparedness, triage
practices, knowledge, and confidence. Participants then used the mobile application, followed by
a post-intervention assessment. Emergency preparedness was measured using a weighted scoring
system and Bloom’s categorisation. Knowledge changes were analysed using the McNemar test,
while confidence changes were analysed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Usability was
evaluated using the System Usability Scale (SUS).
Findings revealed moderate overall emergency preparedness, with gaps in emergency drills,
structured triage systems, and monitoring equipment, including capnography. Knowledge
improved significantly for identifying life-threatening conditions (p < .001) and selecting
appropriate first actions in a gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV) scenario (p < .001). Confidence
increased significantly across all emergency domains, with large to very large effect sizes (r =
0.510–0.841). The mobile application achieved an SUS score of 85.65, indicating excellent
usability.
In conclusion, the mobile application effectively improved emergency knowledge and
confidence, and was well-accepted by users. These findings highlight the potential of digital
decision-support tools in enhancing veterinary emergency preparedness and inform future
directions for clinical training and practice in Malaysia.