The moral of the Swaledale tups

A story from early in Liz Barton's career demonstrates the high expectations those in the veterinary world often have of themselves - and the value of self-compassion. Being kind to oneself is something she and her colleagues are now trying to embed widely.

Surrogate Humane Endpoints in Small Animal Models of Acute Lung Injury: A Modified Delphi Consensus Study of Researchers and Laboratory Animal Veterinarians

OBJECTIVES

In many jurisdictions, ethical concerns require surrogate humane endpoints to replace death in small animal models of acute lung injury. Heterogenous selection and reporting of surrogate endpoints render interpretation and generalizability of findings between studies difficult. We aimed to establish expert-guided consensus among preclinical scientists and laboratory animal veterinarians on selection and reporting of surrogate endpoints, monitoring of these models, and the use of analgesia.

DESIGN

A three-round consensus process, using modified Delphi methodology, with researchers who use small animal models of acute lung injury and laboratory animal veterinarians who provide care for these animals. Statements on the selection and reporting of surrogate endpoints, monitoring, and analgesia were generated through a systematic search of MEDLINE and Embase. Participants were asked to suggest any additional potential statements for evaluation.

SETTING

A web-based survey of participants representing the two stakeholder groups (researchers, laboratory animal veterinarians). Statements were rated on level of evidence and strength of support by participants. A final face-to-face meeting was then held to discuss results.

SUBJECTS

None.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Forty-two statements were evaluated, and 29 were rated as important, with varying strength of evidence. The majority of evidence was based on rodent models of acute lung injury. Endpoints with strong support and evidence included temperature changes and body weight loss. Behavioral signs and respiratory distress also received support but were associated with lower levels of evidence. Participants strongly agreed that analgesia affects outcomes in these models and that none may be necessary following nonsurgical induction of acute lung injury. Finally, participants strongly supported transparent reporting of surrogate endpoints. A prototype composite score was also developed based on participant feedback.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide a preliminary framework that researchers and animal welfare committees may adapt for their needs. We have identified knowledge gaps that future research should address.

OIE twinning programme for veterinary education

Building capacity is synonymous with sustaining development. Both are required to fuel progress and propel efforts towards heightening health and security. The urgency to build capacity has been catalysed by an increasing number of sanitary crises, threats, and disease outbreaks that have spanned countries, regions and continents. Education has often bridged the gaps in learning, but it has also divided the ways in which learning is practised. Differing cultural, religious and political beliefs, together with alternate economic priorities, have meant that countries have been advocating for education to meet their own specific needs, and not necessarily those of the international community. The varying contents of veterinary curricula around the world do not always demonstrate that the initial education of veterinary students provides them with the necessary skill sets to fulfil their responsibilities as key actors in the private and public sectors of national Veterinary Services. This has resulted in discrepancies in the competencies acquired by veterinarians and their capacities to uphold good veterinary governance and practices. To address this educational imbalance, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has drafted recommendations and guidelines to assist Veterinary Education Establishments worldwide with improving the breadth and depth of their veterinary curricula in order to strengthen their national Veterinary Services. The OIE has, furthermore, developed a twinning programme for Veterinary Education Establishments, under which learning opportunities for teaching staff and students are created and shared. Twinning has, to date, proved to be an effective and powerful mechanism through which developments in veterinary education through mutual capacity and confidence-building can be sustained.

Nutrition Education in European Veterinary Schools: Are European Veterinary Graduates Competent in Nutrition?

Knowledge of nutrition is vital for veterinarians to inform owners about care of healthy pets and management of disease. Owners wish to have information from the veterinary health care team (VHT), and graduate veterinarians should be sufficiently educated to provide evidence-based information. Many veterinary practitioners feel that their veterinary school education in small-animal nutrition was insufficient. This survey presents the information on nutrition education in 63 European veterinary schools, including attitudes about teaching of nutrition, importance of nutrition, satisfaction of graduate performance and skills in nutrition, existing and required curriculum hours in nutrition, existing and required teaching staff, and barriers to achieving adequate teaching. The questionnaire was provided online to university deans and faculty members. The majority of schools felt that nutrition was important, but lacked staff numbers or knowledge to teach adequately. Many were also restricted by a crowded curriculum. Potential solutions include hiring a nutritionist, outsourcing nutrition education, and/or using online materials.

Which professional (non-technical) competencies are most important to the success of graduate veterinarians? A Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) systematic review: BEME Guide No. 38

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing prominence of professional (non-technical) competencies in veterinary education, the evidence to support their importance to veterinary graduates is unclear.

AIM

To summarize current evidence within the veterinary literature for the importance of professional competencies to graduate success.

METHODS

A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted (CAB Abstracts, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, ERIC, Australian and British Education Index, Dissertations & Theses) from 1988 to 2015 and limited to the veterinary discipline (veterinar* term required). Evidence was sought from consensus-based competence frameworks, surveys of stakeholder perceptions, and empirical evidence linked to relevant outcomes (e.g. employability, client satisfaction or compliance). Data extraction was completed by two independent reviewers and included a quality assessment of each source.

RESULTS

Fifty-two sources were included in the review, providing evidence from expert frameworks (10 sources), stakeholder perceptions (30 sources, including one from the previous category), and empirical research (13 sources). Communication skills were the only competency to be well-supported by all three categories of evidence. Other competencies supported by multiple sources of empirical evidence include empathy, relationship-centered care, self-efficacy, and business skills. Other competencies perceived to be relatively more important included awareness of limitations, professional values, critical thinking, collaboration, and resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

This review has highlighted the comparatively weak body of evidence supporting the importance of professional competencies for veterinary graduate success, with the exception of communication skills. However we stress this is more indicative of the scarcity of high-quality veterinary-based education research in the field, than of the true priority of these competencies.

Scope for animal welfare education in open and distance learning: findings from a needs assessment study in India

The objectives of this study were twofold: to assess the demand for animal welfare education by open and distance learning (ODL) and to identify content to be covered in an ODL animal welfare programme. Through email, personal interviews and online surveys, data were collected from 161 respondents. The key survey questions were on: the need and reasons for providing animal welfare education through ODL; entry-level qualifications; job/career prospects; duration of the programme, and suggestions on course content. The majority of respondents felt that there was a need for a one-year ODL academic programme on animal welfare. In the light of the findings of this study and related discussions, the authors recommend that online and ODL programmes in animal welfare be developed to meet the continuing educational needs of veterinary students, working veterinarians, para-veterinarians and other stakeholders closely related to animal welfare.

Preparedness of small animal veterinary practices to communicate with Spanish-speaking pet owners with limited proficiency in English

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the preparedness of small animal veterinary personnel to communicate with Spanish-speaking pet owners with limited English-language proficiency (LEP).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional telephone survey.

SAMPLE

Data from 383 small animal veterinary practices.

PROCEDURES

Telephone surveys were conducted with veterinarians and office or practice managers from a random sample of US small animal veterinary practices in 10 states to estimate the number of Spanish-speaking pet owners with LEP visiting these practices, proportion of practices that used services to facilitate communication with Spanish-speaking clients with LEP, and degree of veterinarian satisfaction with their communication with those clients.

RESULTS

Responses were obtained from 383 of 1,245 (31%) eligible practices, of which 340 (89%) had Spanish-speaking clients with LEP and 200 (52%) had such clients on a weekly basis. Eight percent of practices had veterinary personnel who were conversant or fluent in spoken Spanish. Veterinarians who depended on clients' friends or family to translate were significantly less satisfied with client communication than were those who could converse in Spanish with clients directly. Availability of Spanish-speaking staff and offering of Spanish-language resources were associated with an increase in the number of Spanish-speaking clients with LEP seen on a weekly basis. Industry- and practice-generated Spanish-language materials were offered at 32% (124/383) and 21% (81/383) of practices, respectively; 329 (86%) practices had no Spanish-language marketing.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Opportunities were identified for improving communication with pet owners with LEP in the veterinary clinical setting, which could ultimately positively impact patient well-being and client compliance.

Parasitological procedures, skills, and areas of knowledge used by small-animal practitioners in North America

We designed a study to assess veterinarians' competency regarding parasitological procedures, skills, and areas of knowledge currently used in small-animal practice. The outcome will help us refine our curriculum on the basis of the parasitological working knowledge and skill sets that small-animal practitioners are using today. A questionnaire was developed and sent to small-animal practitioners. Their responses provided general information on practice characteristics, parasitological procedures used, and client education. Parasitological procedures included those to diagnose helminths, protozoa, and ectoparasites. We focused on three questions: "Do you perform or request this procedure?" "Where is this procedure performed?" and "What is your frequency?" The respondents were 478 small-animal practitioners. We performed descriptive analyses of practice characteristics along with bivariate and multivariate analyses. These analyses revealed the clinical competence of parasitological diagnoses performed or requested by small-animal practitioners. The results showed that more involved or time-consuming methods such as fecal flotation using centrifugation and the Baermann test are more often sent to a diagnostic laboratory and are requested more often by veterinarians in larger practices (i.e., those that employ more veterinarians). The outcomes also suggest that the main diagnostician may not fully understand the tests available at the diagnostic laboratory, which has an impact on decision making for management, treatment, and prevention of parasites and ultimately client education. In addition, small-animal practitioners who have been in practice longer and practices that employ five veterinarians or fewer (i.e., smaller practices) offer more client education.

Veterinarians as practitioners and as key players in epidemiological surveillance: two tasks, two paradigms to be reconciled

Veterinary practitioners are often involved in epidemiological surveillance systems, where their task is to detect animals suspected of suffering from diseases subject to surveillance and to include them in surveillance. However, these two tasks--practising veterinary medicine and taking part in surveillance--are based on different paradigms. Faced with a sick animal, a practitioner tries to maximise the probability of a correct diagnosis, whereas, when implementing surveillance, a veterinarian is required to maximise the inclusion of suspected cases in surveillance systems. Based on an analysis of the difficulties and problems posed by these coexisting tasks, the authors propose potential solutions through veterinary education and training. The implementers and coordinators of epidemiological surveillance systems must take these factors into account.