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The Veterinary record2014; 174(13); 324; doi: 10.1136/vr.101745

Survey of the UK veterinary profession: common species and conditions nominated by veterinarians in practice.

Abstract: The practice of evidence-based veterinary medicine involves the utilisation of scientific evidence for clinical decision making. To enable this, research topics pertinent to clinical practice need to be identified, and veterinary clinicians are best placed to do this. The main aim of this study was to describe the veterinary population, the common species and conditions veterinary clinicians nominated they saw in practice and how much information clinicians perceived was available in the literature for these. A questionnaire was distributed to all Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons registered veterinarians agreeing to be contacted for research purposes (n=14,532). A useable response rate of 33 per cent (4842/14,532) was achieved. The most commonly seen species reported by vets were dogs, cats and rabbits followed by equines and cattle. Overall, skin conditions were most commonly mentioned for small animals, musculoskeletal conditions for equines and reproduction conditions for production animals. Veterinary clinicians perceived there was a higher level of information available in the literature for conditions in dogs, cattle and equines and lower levels for rabbits and guinea pigs. The results from this study can be used to help define the research needs of the profession to aid the incorporation of evidence in veterinary practice.
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Publication Date: 2014-02-25 PubMed ID: 24570401PubMed Central: PMC3995283DOI: 10.1136/vr.101745Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article presents a survey conducted amongst UK veterinary professionals to identify the most common species and conditions they encounter in their practice. It also gauges how much information is available in relevant scientific literature for treating these. According to the survey, dogs, cats, and rabbits, followed by horses and cattle were the most commonly seen species, while skin conditions in small animals, musculoskeletal conditions in horses, and reproductive conditions in production animals were the most common medical issues. The survey indicates more literature availability for conditions in dogs, cattle and equines, and less for rabbits and guinea pigs.

Survey Methodology

  • A questionnaire was distributed to all Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons registered veterinarians who agreed to be contacted for research purposes. The total sample size was 14,532 veterinarians.
  • The survey had a usable response rate of 33%, meaning 4,842 completed responses were received from the distributed questionnaires.
  • The veterinarians were asked to nominate the species and conditions they commonly see in their practice and rate the availability of information in scientific literature for treating these conditions.

Results and Findings

  • The most common species encountered by the veterinarians were dogs, cats, and rabbits. These were followed by equines (horses, donkeys, etc.) and cattle.
  • In terms of common conditions, skin conditions were frequently reported for small animals like cats and dogs. Equines were often seen for musculoskeletal conditions, and reproduction conditions were prominent in production animals like cattle and pigs.
  • Veterinary clinicians reported there to be a higher level of information available in scientific literature for conditions in dogs, cattle and equines.
  • Conversely, there was reported to be a lower level of information availability for conditions in rabbits and guinea pigs.

Implications

  • The results of this study can help identify the research needs of the veterinary profession.
  • It can aid in focusing more veterinary scientific research on species and conditions that lack sufficient information in the literature, such as rabbits and guinea pigs.
  • Ultimately, this can support the incorporation of evidence in veterinary practice – a key principle of evidence-based veterinary medicine.

Cite This Article

APA
Nielsen TD, Dean RS, Robinson NJ, Massey A, Brennan ML. (2014). Survey of the UK veterinary profession: common species and conditions nominated by veterinarians in practice. Vet Rec, 174(13), 324. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.101745

Publication

The Veterinary record
ISSN: 2042-7670
NlmUniqueID: 0031164
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 174
Issue: 13
Pages: 324

Researcher Affiliations

Nielsen, T D
  • Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
Dean, R S
    Robinson, N J
      Massey, A
        Brennan, M L

          MeSH Terms

          • Adult
          • Animals
          • Attitude of Health Personnel
          • Cats
          • Cattle
          • Data Collection
          • Dogs
          • Evidence-Based Medicine
          • Female
          • Guinea Pigs
          • Horses
          • Humans
          • Male
          • Middle Aged
          • Musculoskeletal Diseases / veterinary
          • Rabbits
          • Reproduction
          • Skin Diseases / veterinary
          • United Kingdom
          • Veterinarians / psychology
          • Veterinarians / statistics & numerical data
          • Veterinary Medicine

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