Dataset Information

Owners and Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom Disagree about What Should Happen during a Small Animal Vaccination Consultation.

ABSTRACT: Dog and cat vaccination consultations are a common part of small animal practice in the United Kingdom. Few data are available describing what happens during those consultations or what participants think about their content. The aim of this novel study was to investigate the attitudes of dog and cat owners and veterinary surgeons towards the content of small animal vaccination consultations. Telephone interviews with veterinary surgeons and pet owners captured rich qualitative data. Thematic analysis was performed to identify key themes. This study reports the theme describing attitudes towards the content of the consultation. Diverse preferences exist for what should be prioritised during vaccination consultations, and mismatched expectations may lead to negative experiences. Vaccination consultations for puppies and kittens were described to have a relatively standardised structure with an educational and preventative healthcare focus. In contrast, adult pet vaccination consultations were described to focus on current physical health problems with only limited discussion of preventative healthcare topics. This first qualitative exploration of UK vaccination consultation expectations suggests that the content and consistency of adult pet vaccination consultations may not meet the needs or expectations of all participants. Redefining preventative healthcare to include all preventable conditions may benefit owners, pets and veterinary surgeons, and may help to provide a clearer structure for adult pet vaccination consultations. This study represents a significant advance our understanding of this consultation type.

SUBMITTER: Belshaw Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5876577 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Owners and Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom Disagree about What Should Happen during a Small Animal Vaccination Consultation.

Belshaw Zoe Z Robinson Natalie J NJ Dean Rachel S RS Brennan Marnie L ML

Veterinary sciences 20180118 1

Dog and cat vaccination consultations are a common part of small animal practice in the United Kingdom. Few data are available describing what happens during those consultations or what participants think about their content. The aim of this novel study was to investigate the attitudes of dog and cat owners and veterinary surgeons towards the content of small animal vaccination consultations. Telephone interviews with veterinary surgeons and pet owners captured rich qualitative data. Thematic an ...[more]

PMID: 29346332

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Project description:Canine osteoarthritis is a common, painful condition that is typically managed in a general practice setting. Osteoarthritis may have significant negative impacts on the welfare of both dogs and their owners. Anticipated early clinical signs of canine osteoarthritis and the preferred route to its diagnosis are well described by veterinary subject experts in published literature. However, little is known about changes owners first recognise in a dog ultimately diagnosed with osteoarthritis, how they make decisions about when to present that dog to a general practitioner, or whether the described diagnostic pathways are followed by general practitioners. The aim of this research was to investigate how dog owners and veterinary surgeons describe identifying and diagnosing canine osteoarthritis. Owners of osteoarthritic dogs were recruited for semi-structured interview, and veterinary surgeons working in general practice were invited to take part in practice-based focus groups. Transcripts from both datasets were thematically analysed using a contextualist epistemology with an ontology based on critical realism to construct convergent themes from latent and semantic codes. Thirty-two interviews were completed with 40 owners from 32 households who discussed 35 dogs with osteoarthritis, and 26 veterinary surgeons engaged in four practice-based focus groups. Owners described identifying a wide range of acute and chronic, typically subtle and intermittent, behavioural and demeanour changes prior to their dogs' osteoarthritis diagnosis. Few attributed these changes to canine osteoarthritis, and some waited many months before presenting their dog to a veterinary practice. Veterinary surgeons described a consistent 'typical osteoarthritis' presentation that they recognised through history taking and clinical examination. Their diagnostic work-up rarely followed that advocated by subject experts for reasons including lack of time and perceptions that it would not change the outcome. Many veterinary surgeons described frustration that some owners did not accept their recommendations to provide analgesia for affected dogs. Short consultation lengths, poor awareness of owner knowledge levels, and lack of recognition of the importance of owners' prior knowledge, beliefs and assumptions may contribute to these consultations being perceived as challenging by some veterinary surgeons and owners. This research demonstrates that veterinary surgeons and owners want dogs with clinical signs of osteoarthritis to be happy and comfortable, but that ineffective communication and lack of trust in the consulting room may be a barrier. Our data identifies many new avenues for future research and improved communication strategies that could facilitate earlier identification and treatment of canine osteoarthritis in general practice.

Project description:BackgroundVaccination against herpes zoster was introduced in the United Kingdom in 2013 for individuals aged 70 years, with a phased catch-up campaign for 71-79 year olds. Vaccine introduction has resulted in a marked fall in incident herpes zoster and in post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), but formal evaluation of vaccine effectiveness is needed.MethodsIn a population-based cohort study of older individuals born between 1933 and 1946, we used linked UK anonymised primary care health records for the first three years of the vaccination programme (01/09/2013-31/08/2016) and multivariable Poisson regression to obtain incidence rates and vaccine effectiveness (VE) against zoster and PHN.ResultsAmong 516,547 individuals, 21% were vaccinated. Incidence of zoster was 3.15/1000 person-years in vaccinees and 8.80/1000 person-years in unvaccinated individuals. After adjustment, VE was 64% (95%CI = 60-68%) against incident zoster and 81% (95%CI = 61-91%) against PHN, with very similar VE estimates in the routine and catch-up cohorts. VE against zoster was lower in those with a previous history of zoster: 47% (95%CI = 31-58%) versus 64% (95%CI = 60-68%) in those without previous zoster. There was evidence of waning VE over time, from 69% (95%CI = 65-74%) in the first year after vaccination to 45% (95%CI = 29-57%) by the third year.ConclusionThis first formal assessment of VE in the UK zoster vaccination programme demonstrates good effectiveness of zoster vaccine, and very good protection against PHN. The findings provide evidence that VE is similar across the age groups targeted for vaccination in the UK, and on duration of protection of the vaccine in public health use. The study provides key information for decision-makers about the future direction of UK zoster vaccination programme, indicating that the live zoster vaccine may be more cost-effective than estimated previously. It also supports efforts to communicate the benefits of zoster vaccination to address the declining coverage observed across the UK.

Dataset Information

Owners and Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom Disagree about What Should Happen during a Small Animal Vaccination Consultation.

Publications

Owners and Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom Disagree about What Should Happen during a Small Animal Vaccination Consultation.

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