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Knowledge from the past, present and future

RCVS Charitable Trust re-launches as RCVS Knowledge.

At RCVS Day [5 July 2013] The RCVS Charitable Trust announced a change of name – RCVS Knowledge – and the refocus of its mission around supporting the flourishing evidence based veterinary medicine (EBVM) movement across the globe.

RCVS Knowledge banner

Nick Royle, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge said: “RCVS Knowledge is a name that encompasses our three core offerings: historical knowledge represented by our valuable Historical Collection, present knowledge, represented by our library, and future knowledge, represented by the new evidence based veterinary medicine  project, which is underpinned by our grants programme.”

The re-launch comes as the charity refocuses its efforts to become a global intermediary for evidence based veterinary medicine (EBVM), a direction reached following a period of consultation, and on the back of a successful symposium on the subject held at the end of 2012.

“Today, veterinary surgeons and nurses are required to take account of an ever-increasing pool of scientific data, the owners’ values and preferences, and their own clinical expertise when making clinical decisions,” said Nick, former CEO of the human evidence based medicine resource, The Cochrane Collaboration. “RCVS Knowledge is ideally placed to generate, collate and distribute this information to support evidence based practices. We aim to develop tools to assist practitioners to quickily make well-informed treatment decisions," he added.

We aim to develop tools to assist practitioners to quickly make well-informed treatment decisions

As part of the new direction, the Historical Collection will be made accessible and available online. Clare Boulton, Head of Library and Information Services, said: “The Collection contains priceless and fascinating material, covering topics such as early horse-care and management, veterinary expeditions of discovery through Africa, and research that made the British Cavalry horses of 1914 the finest in the world.”

Meanwhile, RCVS Knowledge’s Library and Information Service will be re-designed to make it much more than shelves of journals, but rather a resource with the capacity to steer first-rate care and innovation, and an information engine capable of driving evidence based veterinary medicine at a global level.

Nick says: “Our team includes highly-skilled information specialists. They will provide a unique support service that ensures high quality information is placed into the hands of those who need it, when they need it.”

The Grants and Awards program, for which the former RCVS Charitable Trust has been known, will be redesigned to celebrate professional excellence, and to address gaps in veterinary knowledge.

“We are aware of the responsibilities that veterinary surgeons and nurses face every day and feel we are in a position to support their decision making. We would like to urge every veterinary professional with an interest in EBVM, a curiosity about the history of their profession or a need to access up-to-date research to get in touch, so that we can keep you up to date with developments,” concluded Nick.