Telephone Triage and Advice for Potential Cases of Equine Colic

Guidance for veterinary practice teams

The process of triage is widely used within human medicine to identify and prioritise those who require urgent medical attention. Equine colic is a frequent emergency within veterinary practice however, owner knowledge of colic and recognition of potential 'red-flag' indicators is varied. To assist veterinary teams in assessing owner-reported colic during a telephone call, the University of Nottingham and World Horse Welfare have developed a bespoke telephone triage resource for use within practice. This resource has been created following an exploratory study into existing triage processes within equine practice, using an online survey and structured interviews with veterinary teams. Although these resources have been produced for use during colic related telephone calls, the principles can be adapted and applied to other potential equine emergencies.