Assessing veterinary professionals' ability to estimate length

This study aimed to assess the accuracy of veterinary professionals' psychomotor and visual estimation of lengths.

Members of staff at a single veterinary referral hospital were asked a series of demographic questions. Respondents were first asked to draw lines of a specified length, while being blinded to their previous responses. Respondents were then shown lines on separate non-standard-size laminated sheets of paper and asked to estimate their length. A total of five estimations were made in each section, with lengths varying from 3 to 120 mm.

A total of 101 respondents were assessed. The median absolute percentage error was 24.4% for psychomotor estimation and 33.3% for visual estimation. Respondents were significantly more accurate at psychomotor than visual estimation (p = 0.00024). Respondents tended to underestimate with psychomotor estimation and overestimate with visual estimation. There was no significant difference between the accuracy of veterinarians and veterinary nurses.

When divided by demographic, not all sample sizes met the power calculation threshold, thus limiting their interpretation.

Veterinary professionals must recognise the limitations of estimating length using visual appraisal alone. Measuring devices should be utilised where appropriate.