Ann Viera

The Internet and health information: differences in pet owners based on age, gender, and education

OBJECTIVE The research assessed the attitudes and behaviors of pet owners pertaining to online search behavior for pet health information. METHODS A survey was conducted with a random sample of pet owners drawn from two US metropolitan areas and surrounding cities. Participating clinics were chosen randomly, and each participating clinic was asked to distribute 100 surveys to their clients until all surveys were disbursed. RESULTS Although some perceptions and behaviors surrounding the use of the Internet for pet health information differ based on gender, age, or education level of pet owners, there are many aspects in which there are no differences based on these demographics. CONCLUSIONS Results of the study suggest that closer examination of the common perception that gender, age, or education level has an effect on Internet behavior as it relates to veterinary medicine is required. Recommendations are made pertaining to the growing presence of the Internet and its impact on veterinary medicine.

Describing the Use of Animals in Animal-Assisted Intervention Research

ABSTRACT Currently, there has been growing attention to animal welfare in animal-assisted interventions (AAI). However, there is a lack of scrutiny regarding what steps to take to ensure animal wellbeing during AAI research. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) reviews, monitors, and approves all research involving animal subjects in order to ensure an animal’s ethical and humane treatment. However, AAI publications rarely report IACUC approval. The purpose of this critical review was to determine the frequency of IACUC approval and to report the descriptions of animal use in AAI research publications. In the 139 articles reviewed, 14 (10%) studies reported attaining IACUC approval; 4/139 (3%) reported an adverse outcome on at least one animal used in the study. The publications inconsistently reported the training or certification and veterinary care of the animals. Lacking IACUC approval in AAI studies indicates that the field underutilizes this method of monitoring animal health and welfare. The IACUC should assess, approve, and monitor research protocols involving animals prior to conducting every study to safeguard AAI animal welfare.

The Role of Veterinary Medical Librarians in Teaching Information Literacy

This qualitative study seeks to determine the nature of the instruction librarians provide to veterinary medical students at all 28 United States veterinary colleges. A secondary goal of the study was to determine in what ways and to what extent librarians participated in other instructional activities at their colleges. Over half of the librarians formally taught in one or more courses, predominantly in the first two years of the veterinary curriculum. One presentation per course was most common. Over half of the librarians interviewed stated that evidence-based veterinary medicine was taught at their colleges, and about half of these librarians collaborated with veterinary faculty in this instruction. Many librarians participated in orientation for first-year veterinary students. The librarians also taught instructional sessions for residents, interns, faculty, graduate students, and practicing veterinarians. This study found that librarians teach information literacy skills both formally and informally, but, in general, instruction by librarians was not well integrated into the curriculum. This study advances several recommendations to help veterinary students develop information literacy skills. These include: encourage veterinary faculty and administrators to collaborate more closely with librarians, incorporate a broader array of information literacy skills into assignments, and add a literature evaluation course to the curriculum.