ABCs of EBVM
4. The development of EBVM
4.2. EBVM initiatives
4.2 EBVM initiatives
The principles of EBM are now commonplace in human healthcare, but how has using an evidence base been approached in veterinary practice?
Awareness and use of EBVM is constantly increasing, with the fundamentals of EBVM being taught to undergraduates in vet schools internationally with growing support from key professional bodies such as the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The quantity of evidence is likely to grow in each of the various specialist areas of the profession.
There are a number of groups taking the lead on EBVM internationally. Find out more about these below.
The Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine Association (EBVMA) in North America was founded in 2004 to improve the co-ordination and communication between individuals promoting research, teaching, and clinical application of EBVM to practice (Slater, 2010).
In 2009, the Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine (CEVM) at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom was established. This centre has brought and adapted a number of EBM methodologies to the veterinary profession and covers four main areas of research: evidence synthesis, population research, practice-based research and education and information exchange.
RCVS Knowledge is a UK charity with a mission to advance the quality of veterinary care for the benefit of animals, the public, and society. RCVS Knowledge has championed the use of an evidence-based approach to veterinary medicine since 2014, and provides free tools, resources and education to the veterinary professions.
The charity's resources include Veterinary Evidence , a free, open access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes evidence based on questions from veterinary professionals; inFOCUS , a journal watch providing summaries of the latest research with the potential to impact care from over 100 journals; a Library and Information Services ; and a growing suite of quality improvement tools and learning resources .
Other recent initiatives include:
- Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Matters , a publication from RCVS Knowledge and Sense About Science supported by 14 UK organisations, including vet schools and policy-making bodies, outlining a commitment to the future of EBVM. The publication makes a strong case for much-needed funding for research to grow the evidence base.
- An CIVME EBVM Toolbox created by a Council on International Veterinary Medical Education project (2019), which provides information for educators who are reviewing or introducing research and/or evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) in a curriculum.