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Course asks vet teams to consider human factors
The free course suggests that analysing human factors and systems can improve veterinary outcomes.
The RCVS Knowledge course supports analysis of human interactions.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has released new resources to support veterinary professionals with analysing human interactions and processes.

The online course, published for free on RCVS Knowledge, suggests that, by analysing human factors carefully, veterinary professionals can improve their veterinary outcomes.

Quality Improvement Boxset – Introduction to Human Factors and Systems Thinking will provide learners with the non-technical skills to improve quality of care, patient safety and team wellbeing. It includes learning materials, tools and templates to aid with learning and implementing the skills.

The ‘human factors’ lessons will address interactions between people and their environment, which veterinary teams can interpret to optimise patient care and outcomes. Meanwhile ‘system factors’ topics consider the role of well-designed systems to achieve better results.

The practical course has been produced through collaboration from Human Factors and Systems Thinking experts in both veterinary and human medicine fields.

Veterinary professionals are encouraged to reflect upon and share the learnings across the team, so that the full practice can implement new techniques to the benefit of patients, clients and team members.

The course, which forms part of the seventh series of the Quality Improvement Boxset, is designed to be accessible for the whole veterinary team.

Pam Mosedale, Quality Improvement Clinical Lead at RCVS Knowledge: “Every veterinary professional wants to achieve good outcomes, but the role that Human Factors and systems can play is sometimes overlooked.

“Making sure that your processes are well-designed, and understanding how the people in your team interact with them can optimise the quality of care you provide, while improving team wellbeing,”

The Introduction to Human Factors and Systems Thinking series from the QI boxset can be found on RCVS Knowledge.

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.