Connected Care: Insight From the Veterinary Specialty Care Study

Pets need a variety of care over their lifetime, and that can sometimes include unexpected specialty or emergency care.

New research from the Veterinary Specialty Care: A Synchrony Lifetime of Care Study reveals that many pet owners are unprepared for specialty or emergency veterinary care, lacking both financial resources and information. The study also identifies a communication gap between primary care veterinarians and specialists, contributing to owner frustration during the referral process.¹

Learn More: View our downloadable study lookbook or review the findings below.

Understanding, Affording and Paying for Specialty Treatments

Pet owners deeply care about their pets, but cost is a major concern when it comes to specialty care. Many surveyed pet owners, the study notes, would be stressed by a specialty bill under $1,000.¹

Specialty and emergency care cost concerns

According to the study, 80% of pet owners are concerned about how much treatment might cost at a specialty/emergency care veterinary hospital, making it the number one concern for pet owners. Other top concerns include:¹

• How to pay for treatment (69%)
• If a pet’s condition is treatable (62%)
• What would happen if they could not afford treatment (62%)
• What level of care the pet needs and for how long (58%)

Information from referring veterinarians

Pet owners are often left to navigate treatment details, hospital information and payment options on their own. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of surveyed pet owners seeking advanced care went straight to the ER without a referral. For those who were referred (37%), only 27% received information about payment options from the referring veterinarian, showing that most referring vets focused on care over cost. Either way, clients may be walking into the experience with no sense of the costs ahead of them.¹

When they had the chance, 50% of surveyed pet owners researched payment options before they sought specialty care for their pet; 38% looked into how much specialty care would cost.¹ This highlights the reality that pet owners are looking for information on payment options more than they are on actual costs.

How pet owners learn about specialty clinics

Pet owners look for information about specialty care from multiple sources, with their primary care veterinarian topping the list. The study showed where pet owners looked for this information:¹

• 34% sought information from a general practice veterinarian
• 32% sought information from a general online search
• 30% sought information from CareCredit
• 24% sought information from the specialty practice's website
• 24% sought information from a conversation with someone from the specialty practice
• 20% sought information from family or friends
• 13% did not seek information on the practice before visiting

A Disconnect in Connected Care

Veterinary professionals report that most pet owners are unaware of the true cost of specialty care before their first visit, and over a third know little to nothing about what specialty care involves, according to the Synchrony study.¹

Both owners and vets agree — more education is needed. There are large knowledge gaps about what pet owners know and what specialty care providers wish they knew. For example:¹

• 36% of clients know the types of costs to expect
• 36% of clients know the payment requirements
• 25% of clients have a realistic expectation of potential costs
• 25% of clients know about financing to help pay for the cost of care
• 16% of clients know about insurance coverage and copays

What’s more, specialty care in general, and what it encompasses, is also knowledge many pet owners lack — 54% claim to know “little," “not much” or “nothing” about specialty care, the study found. Yet, 70% of pet owners want to know all the treatment options available for their pet, regardless of costs.¹

A Proactive Approach to Payment

Most pet owners would prefer that payment requirements and payment options be communicated before their appointment or at check-in, according to the Synchrony study. Almost 1 in 5 surveyed practices did not discuss payment options at all. For those specialty practices that did:¹

• 34% discussed payment requirements
• 33% discussed potential costs
• 26% discussed payment options

While most pet owners (63%) want to know about payment options early, only a third (33%) of specialty practices surveyed share this information before the appointment is made. The study showed the timing of communication about available payment options:¹

• 41% share information at the time the appointment is made
• 31% share the information at check-in
• 69% share the information after the initial exam, but before additional services are rendered
• 34% share the information at checkout after care/treatment has been received
• 15% share the information through channels like website, social media, online and new patient forms

Though pet owners want payment options for their pet’s care, only 53% of specialty clinics surveyed always offer payment options. And 38% always have information about payment options on their website, new patient forms and other channels.¹

Communicating Costs to Clients

According to the study, nearly half of specialty care practices struggle with cost conversations, with 43% finding them somewhat difficult. They are also inconsistent in how they share cost and payment details with clients on their websites:¹

• 56% share financing or payment options available/accepted
• 44% share payment policies
• 20% share information on pet insurance
• 17% share the cost for consultation
• 3% share the costs of specific procedures or services

More than 1 in 4 specialty care providers share no cost or payment information on their website.¹

Other methods specialty care clinics use to display cost or payment information include:¹

• Brochures (42%)
• Posters, table tents, stickers or other in-office messaging (37%)
• Appointment reminders (18%)
• New patient packets (14%)

The Role of the Referring Veterinarian in Specialty Care

By sharing information with pet owners, referring hospitals can enhance their knowledge of specialty care. Yet, the majority of specialty clinics (86%) say referring vets should have a role in educating clients about the cost of specialty care. Only 27% of referring veterinarians communicate details about payment options available at the specialist’s practice.¹

Key Takeaways From the Veterinary Specialty Care Study

Pet owners often have two important concerns when it comes to their pet’s specialty care: the outcome for their pet, and costs. The study is helpful in honing in on ways to improve communication, education and collaboration in veterinary care.

Be proactive. For pet owners, being proactive means communicating about payment options, cost and the value of specialty care. Specialty clinics should be proactive in educating primary care teams about their experience as well as payment expectations and options.

Focus on continued education. The widespread lack of understanding among pet owners about veterinary specialty and ER care suggests a broader education effort within the profession and across the pet care landscape would help them be better prepared for the Lifetime of Care their cherished companions need.

About This Study

Synchrony gathered information via an online "chat-style" survey sent to both pet owners and veterinary professionals. Participants included:¹

• 305 CareCredit cardholders who have visited an emergency, urgent or specialty care veterinarian within the past 12 months, or who sought only general veterinarian care within the past 12 months
  • 46% are cat owners
  • 84% are dog owners
  • 24% own other types of pets
  • 83% do not have pet insurance
• 118 veterinary professionals who provide emergency, urgent or specialty care; make decisions about payment solutions; and accept the CareCredit credit card
  • 61% provide ER and specialty hospital care
  • 16% have a specialty or referral practice only
  • 12% provide ER-only care
  • 10% provide a combination of specialty and general practice care
  • 1% provide urgent care clinic care

A Veterinary Financing Solution for Your Clinic

Looking for a way to help your clients manage the cost of care that is needed for their pets? Consider accepting the CareCredit health and pet care credit card. CareCredit is a flexible financing solution that allows cardholders to pay for veterinary services over time, while you get paid within two business days.

When you accept CareCredit, you will receive a custom link that allows clients to see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score. Those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* The entire process is mobile-friendly, leaving you free to focus on providing the care pets need.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a veterinary financing solution or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.