Designing a National Veterinary Prescribing Champion Programme for Welsh Veterinary Practices:The Arwain Vet Cymru Project

Antimicrobial use in agriculture has been identified as an area of focus for reducing overall antimicrobial use and improving stewardship. In this paper, we outline the design of a complex antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) intervention aimed at developing a national Veterinary Prescribing Champion programme for Welsh farm animal veterinary practices. We describe the process by which participants were encouraged to design and deliver bespoke individualised AMS activities at practice level by forging participant “champion” identities and communities of practice through participatory and educational online activities. We describe the key phases identified as important when designing this complex intervention, namely (i) involving key collaborators in government and industry to stimulate project engagement; (ii) grounding the design in the literature, the results of stakeholder engagement, expert panel input, and veterinary clinician feedback to promote contextual relevance and appropriateness; and (iii) taking a theoretical approach to implementing intervention design to foster critical psychological needs for participant motivation and scheme involvement. With recruitment of over 80% of all farm animal practices in Wales to the programme, we also describe demographic data of the participating Welsh Veterinary Prescribing Champions in order to inform recruitment and design of future AMS programmes

Evolutionary Repercussions of Avian Culling on Host Resistance and Influenza Virulence

Keeping pandemic influenza at bay is a global health priority. Of particular concern is the continued spread of the influenza subtype H5N1 in avian populations and the increasing frequency of transmission to humans. To decrease this threat, mass culling is the principal strategy for eradicating influenza in avian populations. Although culling has a crucial short-term epidemiological benefit, evolutionary repercussions on reservoir hosts and on the viral population have not been considered.To explore the epidemiological and evolutionary repercussions of mass avian culling, we combine population genetics and epidemiological influenza dynamics in a mathematical model parameterized by clinical, epidemiological, and poultry data. We model the virulence level of influenza and the selection on a dominant allele that confers resistance against influenza [1, 2] in a poultry population. Our findings indicate that culling impedes the evolution of avian host resistance against influenza. On the pathogen side of the coevolutionary race between pathogen and host, culling selects for heightened virulence and transmissibility of influenza.Mass culling achieves a short-term benefit at the expense of long-term detriments: a more genetically susceptible host population, ultimately greater mortality, and elevated influenza virulence

Probing biological redox chemistry with large amplitude Fourier transformed ac voltammetry

Biological electron-exchange reactions are fundamental to life on earth. Redox reactions underpin respiration, photosynthesis, molecular biosynthesis, cell signalling and protein folding. Chemical, biomedical and future energy technology developments are also inspired by these natural electron transfer processes. Further developments in techniques and data analysis are required to gain a deeper understanding of the redox biochemistry processes that power Nature. This review outlines the new insights gained from developing Fourier transformed ac voltammetry as a tool for protein film electrochemistry

Measuring veterinarian opinion of antimicrobial stewardship initiative acceptability for farm practice in Wales

Background. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives are imperative to safeguard antimicrobials and reduce resistance. Across the UK, AMS relies in part on the self-regulation of the veterinary (“vet”) profession, particularly in farm animal practice, alongside voluntary schemes and quality assurance systems. In Europe, AMS initiatives are often statutory, and require responsibility from several sectors. Consideration of broader AMS initiatives, potentially unfamiliar to the Welsh vet profession, could optimise future policy and align it with the requirements of Welsh vets.Method. AMS initiatives were collated from nations with longstanding low antimicrobial use. A survey was constructed permitting vet evaluation of initiative feasibility and effectiveness (collectively, “acceptability”) within Welsh farm animal practice.Results. Vet-directed AMS initiatives, particularly those implemented within individual practices, were considered most acceptable. Initiatives that demanded cooperation from entities outside practices, or those regarded as punitive, were less acceptable.Limitations. This voluntary survey may bias toward particularly motivated respondents in the vet sector. Additionally, the cause or effect of the recorded professional behaviour is not known in this study.Conclusion. Future antimicrobial policy should consider AMS acceptability by vets, alongside farmers and other stakeholders, to promote compliance and attainment. Study data suggest that vets may perceive CPD / knowledge exchange as most acceptable, alongside activities allied to a strong vet-client prescribing relations. Continued support should focus on expanding these areas. Decoupling (abolishing the professional licence for vets to both prescribe and dispense medicines) was viewed as least acceptable by vets in this stud

Training in motivational interviewing improves cattle veterinarians' communication skills for herd health management

Background Communication skills to promote changes in management routines are especially important in veterinary herd health management (VHHM). Motivational interviewing (MI) is a communication methodology shown to be effective in stimulating client behaviour change. This study aimed to evaluate a 6-month MI-training programme for veterinarians. Methods Thirty-eight cattle veterinarians gathered in groups of four to eight at six workshops separated by 3-4 weeks, during which they read literature and practised their skills. MI skills were evaluated before and after training using audio recordings of role-play conversations with professional actors. Recordings were coded using the MI Treatment Integrity Code (MITI) V.4.2.1. The effect of training was evaluated by 16 regression models. Participants filled in questionnaires about their experiences. Results All participants improved their MI skills after training in at least one parameter and significant improvements were found in all but 3 of the 16 statistically evaluated MITI variables. The mean (25th-75th percentiles) ratings of the veterinarians' perceived relevance of MI skills in their work was 4.9 (4.0-6.0) and of their satisfaction with the programme was 5.1 (5.0-6.0) on a 6-point Likert scale. Conclusions Results show that MI training was perceived to be useful and relevant and successfully improved veterinarians' communication skills in VHHM

Communication Skills

PAPER PUBLICATION: This data set is linked to the following paper: The future of veterinary communication: partnership or persuasion? A qualitative investigation of veterinary communication in the pursuit of client behaviour change. Alison M. Bard, David C.J. Main, Anne M. Haase, Helen R. Whay, Emma J. Roe, Kristen K. Reyher. Accepted for publication in PLOS ONE January 2017: Journal reference PONE-D-16-35222R2. DATA: Data are comprised of 15 transcripts of role-play interactions between cattle veterinarians an an actress. The consent form completed by participants is also included for reference. These documents can be opened in any operating system that supports .txt files. ABSTRACT: Client behaviour change is at the heart of veterinary practice, where promoting animal health and welfare is often synonymous with engaging clients in animal management practices. In the medical realm, extensive research points to the link between practitioner communication and patient behavioural outcomes, suggesting that the veterinary industry could benefit from a deeper understanding of veterinarian communication and its effects on client motivation. Whilst extensive studies have quantified language components typical of the veterinary consultation, the literature is lacking in-depth qualitative analysis in this context. The objective of this study was to address this deficit, and offer new critical insight into veterinary communication strategies in the pursuit of client behaviour change. Role-play interactions (n=15) between UK cattle veterinarians and an actress experienced in medical and veterinary education were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Analysis revealed that, overall, veterinarians tend to communicate in a directive style (minimal eliciting of client opinion, dominating the consultation agenda, prioritising instrumental support), reflecting a paternalistic role in the consultation interaction. Given this finding, recommendations for progress in the veterinary industry are made; namely, the integration of evidence-based medical communication methodologies into clinical training. Use of these types of methodologies may facilitate the adoption of more mutualistic, relationship-centred communication in veterinary practice, supporting core psychological elements of client motivation and resultant behaviour change

Communication Skills

PAPER PUBLICATION: This data set is linked to the following paper: The future of veterinary communication: partnership or persuasion? A qualitative investigation of veterinary communication in the pursuit of client behaviour change. Alison M. Bard, David C.J. Main, Anne M. Haase, Helen R. Whay, Emma J. Roe, Kristen K. Reyher. Accepted for publication in PLOS ONE January 2017: Journal reference PONE-D-16-35222R2. DATA: Data are comprised of 15 transcripts of role-play interactions between cattle veterinarians an an actress. The consent form completed by participants is also included for reference. These documents can be opened in any operating system that supports .txt files. ABSTRACT: Client behaviour change is at the heart of veterinary practice, where promoting animal health and welfare is often synonymous with engaging clients in animal management practices. In the medical realm, extensive research points to the link between practitioner communication and patient behavioural outcomes, suggesting that the veterinary industry could benefit from a deeper understanding of veterinarian communication and its effects on client motivation. Whilst extensive studies have quantified language components typical of the veterinary consultation, the literature is lacking in-depth qualitative analysis in this context. The objective of this study was to address this deficit, and offer new critical insight into veterinary communication strategies in the pursuit of client behaviour change. Role-play interactions (n=15) between UK cattle veterinarians and an actress experienced in medical and veterinary education were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Analysis revealed that, overall, veterinarians tend to communicate in a directive style (minimal eliciting of client opinion, dominating the consultation agenda, prioritising instrumental support), reflecting a paternalistic role in the consultation interaction. Given this finding, recommendations for progress in the veterinary industry are made; namely, the integration of evidence-based medical communication methodologies into clinical training. Use of these types of methodologies may facilitate the adoption of more mutualistic, relationship-centred communication in veterinary practice, supporting core psychological elements of client motivation and resultant behaviour change