Exploring the motivations, challenges, and barriers for implementing evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) in general practice

Abstract

An evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) training resource, ‘EBVM Learning’, was created in 2015 and updated in 2019. Following feedback from users, it was decided that a more concise practitioner-focused version was needed. Seven online focus groups, with a total of 22 veterinary practitioners, explored the motivations of practitioners to engage with EBVM. They considered the challenges and barriers to implementing EBVM in practice, and specific supportive measures they felt would increase adoption of EBVM in practice. Participants identified time, support from colleagues and management, and accessing and appraising evidence as being the most important challenges and barriers to the use of EBVM in general practice. However, the value of EBVM was appreciated, and there was an appetite amongst the participants to utilise more EBVM to inform their clinical decision-making. At a workshop attended by experts in EBVM, educators and practitioners, the results of the focus groups were presented and discussed to inform the development of a new online training resource. This study has been used to produce ‘EBVM for Practitioners’, to attempt to reduce some of the barriers and challenges faced by practitioners and support them in increasing their use of EBVM. Further work by the leaders in the veterinary profession will be needed to expand and improve the quality of the evidence base on which EBVM relies, and to ensure practitioners have the skills, access, and motivation to utilise it.