Tools for managing feline problem behaviours: Environmental and behavioural modification

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 1005-1014
Author(s):  
Vicky Halls
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Base ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
The Past ◽  
Behavioural Modification ◽  
Specific Behaviour ◽  
Problem Behaviours ◽  
Work Up ◽  
Referral Practice

Practical relevance: Problem feline behaviour can be managed successfully by early diagnosis and intervention, good first-aid advice in veterinary practice and then, if necessary, a referral to a suitably qualified behaviourist for those cases that are complex. There are a number of tools available to assist in the resolution of problem feline behaviour and this article will cover environmental modification and behavioural modification. Clinical challenges: Problem feline behaviours are not uncommon and the veterinary team often have to rely on their own knowledge to assist clients if a specialist behaviourist is not available. Evidence base: There is a lack of evidence-based information regarding how best to work-up and treat cases of problem feline behaviour in practice; therefore, some recommendations within this article are based on the author’s experience of treating cases in a cat-specific behaviour referral practice over the past 20 years. However, there is evidence available regarding how best to enrich a cat’s environment and how to ensure a cat’s environmental needs are met. Audience: Any veterinarians, veterinary nurses or technicians who are involved in the diagnosis or treatment of problem feline behaviour in practice would benefit from understanding the principles of environmental and behavioural modification.

Tools for managing feline problem behaviours: Owner understanding and involvement

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 1015-1023
Author(s):  
Vicky Halls
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Human Medicine ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Good Communication ◽  
The Past ◽  
Specific Behaviour ◽  
Problem Behaviours ◽  
Referral Practice

Practical relevance: Good communication skills are at the heart of best practice for veterinarians and behaviourists (be they veterinarians/nurses/technicians with specialist behaviour training and qualifications or clinical animal behaviourists). Hence gaining an understanding of how to engage clients to become involved in their pets’ treatment, both medical and behavioural, is relevant to all who work in this field. Clinical challenges: Poor communication skills can be responsible for owners’ lack of compliance regarding both medical treatment and implementation of behavioural protocols. Evidence base: Much of the evidence-based information on effective communication comes from the fields of human psychology and psychotherapy, human medicine and business, with only a limited amount coming from the veterinary field. Therefore, some opinions expressed in this article are based on the author’s experience of treating cases in a cat-specific behaviour referral practice over the past 20 years and her work as a humanistic counsellor. Audience: Any veterinarians, veterinary nurses or technicians who are involved in the diagnosis or treatment of problem feline behaviour in practice would benefit from knowledge of what promotes and also hinders owner understanding and involvement.

Common feline problem behaviours: Owner-directed aggression

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-255
Author(s):  
Marta Amat ◽  
Xavier Manteca
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Behavioural Problem ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Problem Behaviours ◽  
Extensive Body ◽  
Human Family

Practical relevance: Aggression towards owners is a common behavioural problem in cats, particularly in cats that have been obtained from pet shops or other sources where there has been inadequate socialisation with people, and in those kept only indoors. Very often aggression is associated with a stress response and it may potentially lead to relinquishment and euthanasia of the cat. Therefore, preventing and treating owner-directed aggression has significant benefits for the welfare of the cat and the quality of the cat–owner bond. Aim: The objectives of this article are to highlight the characteristics of the most common types of feline aggression towards human family members and to describe, in a very practical way, the main treatment strategies. The article is aimed at general practitioners; for severe cases of aggression and/or cases involving feral cats, referral to a specialist behaviourist is recommended. Clinical challenges: Veterinarians and behaviourists are not always able to witness the aggressive behaviour of the cat and therefore a detailed and accurate interview, as well as the use of complementary tools such as video recording, is essential to reach a diagnosis. Evidence base: This review draws on evidence from an extensive body of published literature as well as the authors’ clinical experience and own research.

Cardiology

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Acute Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
The Past ◽  
Clinical Cardiology ◽  
Treatment Of Hypertension ◽  
St Elevation

To date, several thousand randomized trials of cardiac treatments have been published, and, over the past few decades, clinical cardiology has gradually evolved from an experience-based to an evidence-based specialty. This chapter focuses on familiarizing clinicians with some of the evidence underpinning contemporary cardiological practice and encourages interest in the future development of the cardiological evidence base. Using an eclectic selection and providing a balanced interpretation of trial results, it takes trials that have influenced cardiological practice, covering topics such as the optimal treatment of hypertension, non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome, and heart failure.

From gut feeling to evidence base: drivers and barriers to the development of health care for older people

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul V. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
The Past ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Complex Scenario ◽  
Care For Older People ◽  
Do So

Key points• Major advances in medicine, policy, and services for older people have been made over the past fifty years.• The numbers of older people in the UK and elsewhere are increasing and will continue to do so.• This increase has concomitant sociological, medical, and economic challenges that need to be met because they affect the provision of services at all levels.• These challenges are occurring at a time when resources are becoming scarcer and budgets shrinking.• Governments are faced with orchestrating infrastructure and policy in this demanding and complex scenario.• Managers are attempting to do more with less.• Clinicians and other medical professionals are trying to base treatments on sound evidence-based strategies.• There is recognition of the need to include older people and the general public in these processes.• Research may provide us with information that can help resolve these problems.

Hair Balls in Cats

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Cannon
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Base ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Preventive Strategies ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
The Public ◽  
Pruritic Skin ◽  
Predisposing Causes

Practical relevance: Vomiting of hair balls is a common problem in domestic cats, to the extent that it is considered by many owners and veterinarians to be a normal feline behaviour. Whether this is ever the case remains unclear but in most shorthaired cats the frequent elimination of hair balls is an indicator of an underlying chronic disease that is causing increased ingestion of fur or altered gastrointestinal motility. Pruritic skin disease, flea infestation and/or an underlying dietary intolerance are common contributing factors that should not be overlooked. Evidence base: Studies concerning this common problem are lacking and there are no previously published data regarding the incidence of hair balls in pet cats or potential predisposing causes. Although a range of commercial hair ball control diets are available there is no objective information in the public domain regarding their efficacy. Similarly, no studies have evaluated the success of other commonly recommended preventive strategies. Clinical challenges: Despite the lack of evidence-based information, veterinarians are faced with the day-to-day challenge of helping owners to limit the extent to which their cats produce hair balls. The problem is at best an unpleasant nuisance for both cat and owner, and at worst may be a cause of significant morbidity and even, in rare cases, mortality.

Evidence-Based Guidelines and Critical Pathways for Quality Improvement

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 103 (Supplement_E1) ◽  
pp. 225-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Bergman
Keyword(s):  
Practice Guidelines ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Medical Liability ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Critical Pathways ◽  
The Past ◽  
And Performance

Clinical practice guidelines have a long and distinguished tradition in pediatrics. Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics has developed more than 15 practice guidelines and more than 250 clinical policy statements. In the past, practice guidelines have been used to improve care through the dissemination of evidence-based, clinically effective practices to pediatric practitioners. In the current environment this purpose has been broadened to include cost reduction, standardization of practice, and reduction of medical liability. This has led to both confusion and distrust on the part of the pediatrician. Practice guidelines are best understood as a tool to insure that children receive evidence-based care. They are best used in association with a set of outcome and performance measures that provide feedback to clinicians and allow for modification of the guidelines to meet the needs of the local patient population. The quality of practice guidelines is directly dependent on the quality of the medical evidence supporting the recommendation. Unfortunately only a small percentage of the evidence supporting practice guidelines comes from randomized clinical trials with the majority of the evidence coming from expert clinical panels. The success of practice guidelines in improving care for children has yet to be convincingly demonstrated. Currently, there is a dearth of well designed studies that document the effectiveness of practice guidelines. Their ultimate effectiveness will depend on both an improved evidence base and effective strategies for rapid dissemination of the recommendations. The development of evidence-based practice guidelines does not insure that it will have a major impact on physician practice. In the past, effective dissemination of new knowledge has been a long process, often taking years. This cycle time can be dramatically shortened through the development of networks of practice sites that share knowledge and experience in the implementation of practice guidelines and the use of strategies that take advantage of key groups in the dissemination process. When used appropriately, practice guidelines can provide an important adjunct to clinical research by facilitating the dissemination of new clinical findings and can provide an important platform for encouraging innovations in patient care.

LGBTQ Intimate Partner Violence

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam M. Messinger
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
The Past ◽  
Victim Services ◽  
Public Health Threat

Many nations today recognize intimate partner violence (IPV) in romantic-sexual relationships as a major public health threat, yet not all victims are treated equally. Contrary to myths, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and queer (LGBTQ) people are more likely to experience IPV than heterosexual-cisgender people. Unfortunately, LGBTQ victims face major barriers to reaching safety in a world that too often stigmatizes their identities and overlooks their relationships when forming victim services and policies. Offering a roadmap forward, LGBTQ Intimate Partner Violence: Lessons for Policy, Practice, and Research is the first book to synthesize nearly all existing research from the past forty years on this pressing issue. At once highly organized and engaging, it provides evidence-based tips for academic and nonacademic audiences alike.

Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Base ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Collaborative Partnerships ◽  
Social Service Agencies ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Health Related Research ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation Research ◽  
Policies And Programs

Fifteen to twenty years is how long it takes for the billions of dollars of health-related research to translate into evidence-based policies and programs suitable for public use. Over the past 15 years, an exciting science has emerged that seeks to narrow the gap between the discovery of new knowledge and its application in public health, mental health, and health care settings. Dissemination and implementation (D&I) research seeks to understand how to best apply scientific advances in the real world, by focusing on pushing the evidence-based knowledge base out into routine use. To help propel this crucial field forward, leading D&I scholars and researchers have collaborated to put together this volume to address a number of key issues, including: how to evaluate the evidence base on effective interventions; which strategies will produce the greatest impact; how to design an appropriate study; and how to track a set of essential outcomes. D&I studies must also take into account the barriers to uptake of evidence-based interventions in the communities where people live their lives and the social service agencies, hospitals, and clinics where they receive care. The challenges of moving research to practice and policy are universal, and future progress calls for collaborative partnerships and cross-country research. The fundamental tenet of D&I research—taking what we know about improving health and putting it into practice—must be the highest priority. This book is nothing less than a roadmap that will have broad appeal to researchers and practitioners across many disciplines.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Youth

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Bryant Miller ◽  
Maya Massing-Schaffer ◽  
Sarah Owens ◽  
Mitchell J. Prinstein
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Evidence Based Treatment ◽  
The Past ◽  
Self Injury ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
Basic And Applied Research ◽  
Nonsuicidal Self Injury

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is direct, intentional harm to one’s own body performed without the intent to die. NSSI has a marked developmental onset reaching peak prevalence in adolescence. NSSI is present in the context of multiple psychological disorders and stands alone as a separate phenomenon. Research has accumulated over the past several decades regarding the course of NSSI. While great advances have been made, there remains a distinct need for basic and applied research in the area of NSSI. This chapter reviews prevalence rates, correlates and risk factors, and leading theories of NSSI. Further, it reviews assessment techniques and provides recommendations. Then, it presents the latest evidence-based treatment recommendations and provides a case example. Finally, cutting edge research and the next frontier of research in this area are outlined.

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