Perceptions of clients and veterinarians on what attributes constitute 'a good vet'

The perceptions of veterinarians and small animal (SA) clients on what attributes constitute 'a good veterinarian' were examined by a questionnaire survey. The respondents were asked to record how important they considered 20 attributes for a veterinary surgeon to have on a five-point scale from 'not at all important' to 'very important'. In addition, they were asked to list which attributes they considered to be the three most important attributes in a veterinary surgeon; finally, they were asked whether there were any additional attributes that they considered to be highly desirable in a veterinary surgeon. In total, 407 SA clients, 243 SA veterinarians and 61 non-SA veterinarians completed the questionnaire. There were significant differences in the proportion of clients who considered an attribute to be 'very important' compared with SA veterinarians for 12 of the 20 attributes (P<0.005). A larger proportion of clients considered 'confidence', 'knowledge about veterinary medicine and surgery', 'cleanliness', 'good at explaining technical terms', 'patience', 'clear about cost of treatment', 'ability to work in a team', 'honesty', 'politeness', 'decisiveness', 'good with animals' and 'good practical skills' to be 'very important' attributes than the SA veterinarians; a larger proportion of SA veterinarians considered 'good communication skills' to be a 'very important' attribute than the clients.     

IVADM appeals to veterinarians

Madam:—Last year, the Executive Board of the International Veterinary Academy on Disaster Medicine (IVADM) asked for Dr L. Stipkovits, Budapest, to convene a meeting of the veterinarians participating in the 5th International Congress of Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. About 20 veterinarians met (Dr Jack Lawrence, Freeport, New York attended from the USA), and drafted the following appeal to all veterinarians of the world, and asked that it be published in the veterinary press worldwide. The Directors of the IVADM have approved the statement. They respectfully request that you print it for consideration by your readers before the next meeting of the IVADM in Montreal during the 23rd World Veterinary Congress. Of course, your readers are cordially invited to attend and participate in the meeting. Thank you.     

Perceptions of state public health officers and state veterinarians regarding risks of bioterrorism in the United States

OBJECTIVE:To assess perceptions of state public health officers and state veterinarians in the United States regarding the risks of bioterrorism and determine the degree of support provided for activities related to bioterrorism. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SAMPLE POPULATION: State public health officers and state veterinarians. PROCEDURE: A questionnaire was sent between April and June 2001 to the state public health officer and state veterinarian in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. RESULTS: Perceptions of the risk of bioterrorism attacks were similar for state public health officers and state veterinarians. Veterinarians perceived the risks associated with foot-and-mouth disease and Newcastle disease to be higher than did physicians. State veterinarians perceived the risks associated with an anthrax hoax, brucellosis, and ricin toxicosis to be lower than did state public health officers. Risk posed by agents that affected animals exclusively was perceived to be higher than risk posed by agents that affected humans exclusively and zoonotic agents. Number of full-time-equivalent positions devoted to bioterrorism surveillance and percentage of the budget devoted to bioterrorism activities were significantly lower for offices run by state veterinarians than for offices run by state public health officers. State veterinarians were significantly less likely to have knowledge of bioterrorism incidents within their state or district than were state public health officers. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Provision of additional resources to state veterinarians and explicit integration of their expertise and surveillance capabilities may be important to effectively mitigate the risk of bioterrorism.     

Use of participatory epidemiology to compare the clinical veterinary knowledge of pastoralists and veterinarians in East Africa

Because of severe resource and logistical constraints in large areas of Africa, disease surveillance systems need to maximize the use of information provided by livestock keepers and make correct interpretations of indigenous livestock knowledge. This paper describes the use of participatory epidemiology (PE) to compare the names, clinical signs and epidemiological features of cattle diseases as perceived by pastoralists and veterinarians. Using results from two previous studies with pastoralists in southern Sudan and Kenya, provisional translations of local disease names into modern veterinary terminology were used to develop a matrix scoring method for use with veterinarians. Matrix scoring data from pastoralists and veterinarians were then compared using simple visual comparison of summarized matrices, hierarchical cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling. The results showed good agreement between pastoralists' and veterinarians' disease names and diagnostic criteria. The matrix scoring method was easy to use and appropriate for use in under-resourced areas with minimal professional support or laboratory services. Matrix scoring could be used to assist livestock disease surveillance workers to design surveillance systems that make better use of pastoralist's indigenous knowledge and correctly interpret local disease names. The method should be combined with conventional veterinary investigation methods where feasible.     

Perceptions of the human-animal bond in veterinary education of veterinarians in Washington State: structured versus experiential learning

RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: The purpose of this research was to describe Washington private practitioners' beliefs about how the Human-Animal Bond (HAB) should be addressed in DVM curricula and continuing education. METHODOLOGY: 1,602 Washington veterinarians in private practice were asked to participate in an online survey that addressed the importance of HAB and of DVM/post-DVM HAB education. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The response rate was 25.9% (415/1,602). Eighty-one percent (334/412) of respondents indicated that the HAB was important to their decisions to become veterinarians. The HAB was more important to the most recent graduates than to earliest graduates and to females than to males. Forty-four percent (184/415) of respondents considered mentoring to be the best way to learn about the HAB while in veterinary school. Of the 40% (165/415) of respondents who indicated that their veterinary schools offered structured learning on the HAB, 89% (145/163) said they had participated in it. Seven percent (29/415) indicated that entry-level veterinarians were very prepared to identify and facilitate the HAB, while 54% (224/415) said that they were somewhat prepared. Only 32% (131/415) had participated in any HAB structured learning since having started practicing, and the earliest graduates were twice as likely to have participated as the most recent graduates. More than half (55%, 223/407) disagreed or strongly disagreed that post-DVM, the best way to learn about the HAB is through structured learning. However, 83% (342/414) agreed that continuing-education credits should be given for HAB classes. Eighty-six percent (358/414) supported additional HAB research. Ninety-seven percent (402/414) agreed that the best way to learn about the HAB is through experience. These results suggest that veterinarians do not value HAB structured learning as much as experiential learning and that they are not very confident in recent graduates' abilities regarding the HAB. We propose HAB structured learning in the first three years of DVM education, complemented by the incorporation of the HAB into clinical rotations and post-DVM continuing education.     

Failure to acknowledge high suicide risk among veterinarians

A high suicide risk has been reported among veterinarians in comparison to the general population. Postulated causes have included depression, substance abuse, work-related stress, reluctance to admit psychiatric problems, and access to lethal drugs and/or familiarity with euthanasia. Members of the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), all veterinarians licensed in Alabama, and all US veterinary-association executive directors were surveyed regarding their attitudes concerning mental health issues, including veterinarian suicide. Only 10% of veterinary student respondents (N=58) believed that suicide risk is higher among veterinarians than in the general population. Of the 22 state associations' executive directors who participated in the survey, 37% believed that suicide is a significant concern for veterinarians and only 44% indicated that a veterinary wellness program was available in their respective states. Of the 1,455 licensed veterinarians in Alabama, 701 responded to the survey; 11% of respondents believed that suicide among veterinarians was a problem. In addition, 66% of respondents indicated that they had been "clinically depressed," but 32% of those with depression had not sought treatment. More females (27%) than males (20%) admitted that they had "seriously considered suicide" (p<.01). Female veterinarians were more likely than male veterinarians (15% versus 7%) to indicate that they were "not sure they'd made the right career choice" (p<.001), and 4% of all respondents indicated "definitely not being happy with their career." It is of concern that veterinarians not only have a higher risk of suicide but that they also have fewer support structures. The wide discrepancies between the published risk of suicide for veterinarians and their own views of their risk suggests an inadequate awareness of their own mental health vulnerability which could put them at higher risk.     

Disease and injury among veterinarians

OBJECTIVE: To identify occupational causes of disease and injury in veterinarians and their staff. DESIGN: A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to all of the 160 registered veterinary practices in Western Australia. RESULTS: Injuries accounted for most workers' compensation claims over a 12-month period with 31% of respondents losing a total of 360 work days with a mean of 13.3 days whereas non-occupational diseases such as influenza accounted for 408 work days lost. Over a 10-year period, 71% of respondents had been injured. The major physical injuries were dog and cat bites, cat scratches, scalpel blade cuts and back injuries from lifting heavy animals. Exposure to chemicals such as flea rinses, formalin, glutaraldehyde, x-ray developers and gaseous anaesthetics were reported to cause headache, nausea and allergies. Thirty percent of respondents did not have extractor fans for scavenging waste anaesthetic gases. The study showed high use of radiography (94%) for diagnostic purposes with 24% of respondents believing radiation exposure is a major occupational health and safety issue. Stress, drug abuse, suicide and burglary were also reported. Despite a high awareness of zoonotic diseases, there were very few reports of these. CONCLUSION: Injuries and other occupational hazards reported together with work days lost demonstrate a need for improving the working environment of veterinarians and their staff and the development of comprehensive health and safety programs.