While companion animal blood transfusions are integral to modern critical care, a significant donor shortage persists, largely due to insufficient public awareness. Veterinarians are pivotal in bridging this gap, functioning not only as clinicians but also as crucial educators and advocates. A core professional competency involves engaging clients, addressing their concerns, and motivating participation in donor programs. This study evaluated the impact of a brief educational intervention on veterinary students’ knowledge, attitudes, and intentions regarding pet blood donation. Employing a pre-test/post-test design, this study included 101 valid questionnaires collected from first- and third-year veterinary students at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. The intervention was a 30-minute lecture on pet blood donation. Participants completed questionnaires before and after the lecture, assessing knowledge, attitudes, and donation intentions. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and multiple regression analysis. Results showed significant increases in students’ mean knowledge ( p < .001) and attitude scores ( p < .05) post-intervention. Multiple regression analysis, controlling for gender and pet ownership, revealed that attitude consistently predicted blood donation intention ( β = 0.668, p < .001 pre-intervention; β = 0.723, p < .001 post-intervention). Knowledge, however, did not significantly predict intention. In conclusion, a brief educational course effectively improved veterinary students’ knowledge and attitudes toward pet blood donation. However, a positive attitude, not just knowledge, primarily drives participation intention. Therefore, veterinary curricula should integrate strategies that foster positive attitudes alongside technical information to better prepare graduates to advocate for and establish sustainable animal blood donation programs.
Tsai et al. (Fri,) studied this question.