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EBVM conference builds international evidence network

12 November 2014

Nearly 250 delegates from 15 countries attended the 1st International EBVM Network Conference which ran from 23-24 October at the Beaumont Estate in Windsor, UK. The event, organised by RCVS Knowledge, was the first official meeting of the EBVM Network and featured more than 50 talks on evidence-based veterinary practice.

Delegates at EBVM conferenceThe conference was focussed on developing collaborations between professionals in practice, industry, not-for-profit organisations and academia, in order to make more evidence-based tools and resources available to front-line practitioners.

Dr Rita Jorge, our Head of Research, said: “A huge success of the conference was that there was approximately one veterinary practitioner and one industry representative for every academic delegate.

She added: “This proves that EBVM is no longer considered ‘just for academics’ – there is real interest and determination from practitioners who want to base what they’re doing each day on good evidence.”   

The conference programme included talks on extracting useful information from practices’ electronic medical records, evidence-based guidelines to treat atopic dermatitis and for CPR, as well as presentations on specific clinical topics covered by systematic reviews.

Delegate David Ramey, a US-based equine practice owner, said it was “a pleasure attending the conference and beginning the networking process. It was the most exhilarating educational experience I’ve attended in a long, long time, and I look forward to getting more entwined in the evidence-based ‘net.’"

We awarded over 30 bursaries to ensure a range of professionals at different career stages were represented at the event. 25 bursaries were awarded to veterinary nurses, veterinary students and veterinary professionals based in low-income economies. Eight bursaries were awarded to librarians and information specialists, two of which were sponsored by Vets4Pets & Companion Care.

Veterinary nurse and bursary recipient Jackie Belle said that attending EBVM 2014 was a “fantastic opportunity on both a professional and a personal level.

She continued: “There was an undeniable excitement and buzz at this conference as different organisations and individuals with similar interests shared their experience and knowledge. The outcome of the two days will certainly be realised by the many projects, collaborations and ideas that develop post conference. ”

Nick Royle, our Executive Director, announced at the conference the proposed launch of a new veterinary journal in 2015, the Journal of Evidence-based Veterinary Practice (JEVP).

He said: “JEVP will publish the information that practising veterinary professionals need in order to decide which approach is most likely to help their patients the first time around. The journal will obviously publish a number of systematic reviews and clinical guidelines but also smaller pieces of information which clinicians can use directly in their daily practice.”

He added: “At the centre of this resource will be Knowledge Summaries, sometimes called critically appraised topics, which will offer short, clinically-relevant answers to specific questions in veterinary healthcare.”

Session recordings and scientific posters from the conference will be made available online in the near future. To get involved in the EBVM Network please complete our short survey.

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