Monitoring of equine health in Denmark: a survey of the attitudes and concerns of potential database participants.
Abstract: At present Denmark has no central database holding records of equine health and disease. Nor have attitudes to the establishment of a national database, and the concerns it raises, been investigated in a systematic way. The objective of the present study was to assess the attitudes and concerns of potential database stakeholders. Attitudes to participation, and the location, financing and management of the proposed database, together with any concerns it raises, were investigated in a questionnaire study of 13 potential stakeholder groups in Denmark (in total, 1581 questionnaire recipients and 717 respondents): equine veterinarians, researchers, veterinary students, animal welfare organization representatives, horse owners, trainers, farriers, representatives from authorities, ordinary citizens, and representatives of laboratories, and insurance, medical equipment and pharmaceutical companies. Proportions were calculated for pre-categorised responses, and supplementary attitudes were extracted from qualitative responses. Eighty-six percent of respondents stated a positive interest in providing data for the database; the percentage for veterinarians was 90%. Data contribution was regarded as feasible by many of the stakeholder groups; this willingness to provide data, however, depended on the implementation of a very user-friendly system. Requirements included an electronic, simple, and time-efficient data reporting system. Most respondents felt the database should be financed via horse owners through mandatory contributions linked to each horse. Disagreement appeared to arise over data ownership, accessibility, and location. These and other issues need further elaboration in order to find a solution that is acceptable for all stakeholders. It may be advisable to collect and store data in more than one database.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2012-07-24 PubMed ID: 22832335DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2012.06.004Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Diagnosis
- Disease control
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Disease Management
- Disease Outbreaks
- Disease Prevalence
- Disease Prevention
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Transmission
- Disease Treatment
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Horse Management
- Horse Owners
- Horses
- Survey Study
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
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The research article addresses the potential establishment of a central database for equine health in Denmark. Gathering feedback from multiple stakeholders, the study investigated concerns and attitudes toward its creation, and found overall positive engagement regarding possible contributions to the database.
Study Overview
- This research was conducted to gauge enthusiasm for the creation of a centralized equine health database in Denmark. It aimed to understand the attitudes of likely database participants and identify their concerns.
- The researchers used a questionnaire to gather feedback from key stakeholders. This participant pool, comprising 1581 individuals from 13 groups, included equine veterinarians, researchers, veterinary students, horse owners, trainers, and others involved in equine health and welfare.
- Of the respondents to the questionnaire, a substantial majority (86%) expressed eagerness to contribute data to the proposed database. This figure was even higher (90%) among veterinarians.
Key Findings
- Contributors considered data contribution as feasible, provided the implemented system is user-friendly, electronic, simple, and does not require excessive time for data reporting.
- A majority of respondents suggested that the database’s funding should be borne by horse owners, with a mandatory contribution linked to each horse.
- While the overall response was positive, the study revealed some concerns related to data ownership, accessibility, and the physical location of the database.
- Due to the difference in opinion, especially on data ownership and access, the study proposed that it could be a good solution to store collected data in multiple databases.
Implications
- Understanding stakeholders’ perspectives is crucial before implementing a new system, such as the proposed equine health database. This research provides valuable insights into how such a system could be accepted and supported by a majority of stakeholders.
- The concerns revealed in the study require further exploration and addressing to ensure the successful implementation of the database system.
- By tailoring the database to the users’ requirements – like making it user-friendly and electronically accessible – the chances of widespread adoption are increased.
Cite This Article
APA
Hartig W, Houe H, Andersen PH.
(2012).
Monitoring of equine health in Denmark: a survey of the attitudes and concerns of potential database participants.
Prev Vet Med, 109(1-2), 83-91.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2012.06.004 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences, Large Animal Sciences, Hoejbakkegaard Allé 5, 2630 Taastrup, Denmark. hartig@life.ku.dk
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Attitude
- Databases, Factual / economics
- Databases, Factual / standards
- Denmark / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horses
- Humans
- Surveys and Questionnaires
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Dugué M, Dumont Saint Priest B, Crichan H, Danvy S, Ricard A. Genomic Correlations Between the Gaits of Young Horses Measured by Accelerometry and Functional Longevity in Jumping Competition. Front Genet 2021;12:619947.
- Harari S, Deretz S, Dumont Saint Priest B, Richard E, Ricard A. Comparison of blood parameters in two genetically different groups of horses for functional longevity in show jumping. Front Genet 2024;15:1455790.
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