A socio-psychological investigation into limitations and incentives concerning reporting a clinically suspect situation aimed at improving early detection of classical swine fever outbreaks

The aim of this study was to identify limitations and incentives in reporting clinically suspect situations, possibly caused by classical swine fever (CSF), to veterinary authorities with the ultimate aim to facilitate early detection of CSF outbreaks. Focus group sessions were held with policy makers from the veterinary authorities, and representatives of veterinary practitioners and pig farmer unions. Personal interviews with a small group of pig farmers and practitioners were held to check limitations raised and solutions proposed during the focus group sessions. An electronic questionnaire was mailed to pig farmers and practitioners to investigate perceptions and attitudes with respect to clinically suspect situations possibly caused by CSF. After triangulating the responses of veterinary authorities, veterinary practitioners and farmers, six themes emerged across all groups: (1) lack of knowledge on the early signs of CSF; (2) guilt, shame and prejudice; (3) negative opinion on control measures; (4) dissatisfaction with post-reporting procedures; (5) lack of trust in government bodies; (6) uncertainty and lack of transparency of reporting procedures. The following solutions to facilitate early detection of CSF were put forward: (a) development of a clinical decision-support system for vets and farmers, in order to get faster diagnosis and detection of CSF; (b) possibility to submit blood samples directly to the reference laboratory to exclude CSF in a clinical situation with non-specific clinical signs, without isolation of the farm and free of charge for the individual farmer; (c) decrease social and economic consequences of reporting CSF, for example by improving the public opinion on first reports; (d) better schooling of veterinary officers to deal with emotions and insecurity of farmers in the process after reporting; (e) better communication of rules and regulations, where to report, what will happen next; (f) up-to-date website with information and visual material of the clinical signs of CS

A theoretical and empirical model for soil conservation using indigenous knowledge

This paper illuminates the practice of indigenous soil conservation among Mamasani farmers in Fars province in Iran. Bos’s decision making model was used as a conceptual framework for the study. A qualitative paradigm was used as research methodology. Qualitative techniques were: MindMapping, RRA, semi-structured interviews, indepth and focus group interviews. A new decision making model which was rich in subjective views flexibility and high level of interactivity among farmers and researchers was developed

To report or not to report: a psychosocial investigation aimed at improving early detection of avian influenza outbreaks

The aim of this study was to identify limitations - and solutions for those limitations – with respect to reporting clinically suspect situations on poultry farms, possibly caused by Avian Influenza (AI) with the ultimate aim to facilitate early detection of AI-outbreaks. Focus group sessions were held with policy makers from the veterinary authorities, and representatives of veterinary practitioners and poultry producers. Personal interviews with a small group of poultry farmers and practitioners were held to check proposed limitations and solutions. An electronic questionnaire was mailed to poultry farmers and veterinary practitioners to investigate perceptions and attitudes concerning clinically suspect situations possibly caused by AI. After triangulating the responses of veterinary authorities, veterinary practitioners and poultry farmers, six themes emerged across all groups: 1) lack of knowledge and uncertainty about clinical signs of AI; 2) guilt, shame and prejudice; 3) negative opinion on control measures; 4) dissatisfaction with post-reporting procedures; 5) lack of trust in government bodies; 6) uncertainty and lack of transparency of reporting procedures. In this paper, solutions to break down barriers for reporting a clinically suspect situation are discussed