Clinical ApplicationEN

FILIPA LOPES

Regulation of Non-Conventional Therapies in Veterinary Medicine – European Panorama

Research question: How are regulatory bodies and scientific organisations in Europe addressing the issue of NCT in veterinary medicine?
Methods: Survey sent to members of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE). Regulatory documents - Codes of Ethics, Statute and Veterinary Act - collected from each member's official website. Content analysis of documents using NVIVO software.
Sample: 36 FVE member organisations.
Conclusions: There is no common definition of NCT in Europe, resulting in a lack of harmonization in regulating these practices. The type of training required to practice NCT varies depending on the European country and there appears to be an indiscriminate use of the terms “complementary” and "alternative". A contradiction was detected in certain countries whose regulatory documents state they are based on evidence-based medicine, despite accepting some NCT without scientific validity.

NUNO FRANCO, ISILDA RODRIGUES, GEORGE STILWELL, MANUEL MAGALHÃES-SANT’ANA

Ethics and Animals

We share the planet with other animals. In a context of finite resources and a threatened environment, their survival and that of humanity depends on the commitment we make to them. However, we are faced with disparate views on the ethical treatment of animals. This chapter reflects on the main philosophical movements in animal ethics and discusses some of the current ethically relevant challenges. We place particular emphasis on the domestication of animals and what relevance it might have in defining our moral obligations towards them. We argue that ethical principles should be considered and heeded when relating to non-human animals and, finally, we will explore animal euthanasia as a case study in the light of different ethical theories, establishing the relevant differences between the approach for companion animals and production animals.

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BRENNEN MCKENZIE

Generating Evidence in Private Practice

Production of the scientific evidence underlying veterinary practice has traditionally been limited to veterinarians in universities and the animal health industry. The limited capacity for research in these institutions limits the quantity of evidence available. Academics frequently choose research topics that are not directly relevant to the needs of vets and patients in general practice. Research done in populations at university hospitals may also not always be applicable to the general pet population.
Involving private practice veterinarians in producing scientific evidence can improve the quantity and relevance of the evidence available. Research activities also benefit the practitioner, promoting personal and professional development, improving client confidence in the expertise of practitioners, and potentially generating additional revenue. Realizing these benefits requires overcoming the barriers to evidence production in practice, including limited time, knowledge, and resources. This presentation discusses these benefits and barriers and highlights ways practitioners can become involved in evidence generation.

GEORGE STILWELL

What if there isn’t scientific evidence?
Empirical knowledge, extrapolation and Expert Knowledge Elicitation (EKE)

Medical reasoning and decisions cannot always be supported by objective, accurate and proven scientific evidence. In many instances, the doctor or veterinarian has to decide based on observations and personal experience.

This type of knowledge can come in two forms: empirical or anecdotal. While the first can be considered as a step towards obtaining scientific evidence, since it is verifiable and has scientific characteristics and some statistical weight, the second results from the reporting of punctual observations and practices or subjective inferences. Another way to get around the possible lack of scientific evidence is by analysing the weighted opinion of experts on the distribution of probabilities for uncertain phenomena. This exercise is called Expert Knowledge Elicitation or EKE. These three sources of information, more or less reliable, seek to suggest solutions to problems to which science has not yet found irrefutable answers, but they can also be seen as launching pads for the questions that science will have to address. However, in order for them to be useful in this dual purpose, they must comply with norms and rules that are important to discuss and define.