scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Welfare of Animals in Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Baptista ◽  
Dominique Blache ◽  
Keren Cox-Witton ◽  
Nicola Craddock ◽  
Toni Dalziel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Shared Responsibility ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Contingency Plans ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Response Group ◽  
Animal Care

We report on the various responses in Australia during 2020 to minimize negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the welfare of animals. Most organizations and individuals with animals under their care had emergency preparedness plans in place for various scenarios; however, the restrictions on human movement to contain the spread of COVID-19, coupled with the economic impact and the health effects of COVID-19 on the skilled workforce, constituted a new threat to animal welfare for which there was no blueprint. The spontaneous formation of a national, multisectoral response group on animal welfare, consisting of more than 34 organizations with animals under their care, facilitated information flow during the crisis, which helped to mitigate some of the shocks to different organizations and to ensure continuity of care for animals during the pandemic. We conclude that animal welfare is a shared responsibility, and accordingly, a multisectoral approach to animal welfare during a crisis is required. Our experience demonstrates that to safeguard animal welfare during crises, nations should consider the following: a national risk assessment, clear communication channels, contingency plans for animal welfare, a crisis response group, and support systems for animal care providers. Our findings and recommendations from the Australian context may inform other countries to ensure that animal welfare is not compromised during the course of unpredictable events.

scholarly journals 344 The Ag Guide serves as a primary standard for animal scientists and AAALAC accreditation of Ag research programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 71-72
Author(s):  
Janeen Salak-Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Primary Standard ◽  
Animal Research ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Professional Judgment ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Accreditation Program ◽  
Agricultural Animal ◽  
Animal Care

Abstract Institutions that engage in animal research and production must ensure that high standards of animal care and use meet expectations of society while being ethical stewards of the animals they use in research. In order to achieve engagement in best practices, the Ag Guide is the most appropriate standard for assessing agricultural animals used in research and teaching. The Ag Guide minimizes the potential to overuse performance standards while enhancing the ability to appropriately address specific performance-derived exceptions to situations for which they have been validated. The primary objectives of the standards established in the Ag Guide are well-aligned with the goals of the AAALAC International accreditation program. The Ag Guide provides scientifically-sound, performance-based approaches to animal care and housing, which meet the expectations of AAALAC’s accreditation program. AAALAC provides a third-party peer review of all facets of the animal care and use program that serves as an effective mechanism to ensure institutions meet the standards of the Ag Guide. The process is designed to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the program to ensure high-quality scientific outcomes and a high level of animal welfare. AAALAC accreditation program for agricultural animal research program is built on the cornerstone of the Ag Guide standards and connects science and responsible animal care. AAALAC accreditation promotes a comprehensive, institutionally supported program with a commitment to continuous improvement, humane and ethical animal care resulting in high-quality animal welfare, and scientific validity. AAALAC takes the position that, in accredited programs, the housing and care for agricultural animals should meet the standards that prevail on a high-quality, well-managed farm and the Ag Guide serves as this foundation. Therefore, the use of the Ag Guide for agricultural animal programs ensures a review that is based on science, professional judgment, and the best interests of the animal.

Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response: There’s An App for That

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 486-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Bachmann ◽  
Nathan K. Jamison ◽  
Andrew Martin ◽  
Jose Delgado ◽  
Nicholas E. Kman
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Value Relevance ◽  
Disaster Medicine ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Smartphone Applications ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Lay Public

AbstractIntroductionSmartphone applications (or apps) are becoming increasingly popular with emergency responders and health care providers, as well as the public as a whole. There are thousands of medical apps available for Smartphones and tablet computers, with more added each day. These include apps to view textbooks, guidelines, medication databases, medical calculators, and radiology images.Hypothesis/ProblemWith an ever expanding catalog of apps that relate to disaster medicine, it is hard for both the lay public and responders to know where to turn for effective Smartphone apps. A systematic review of these apps was conducted.MethodsA search of the Apple iTunes store (Version 12; Apple Inc.; Cupertino, California USA) was performed using the following terms obtained from the PubMed Medical Subject Headings Database: Emergency Preparedness, Emergency Responders, Disaster, Disaster Planning, Disaster Medicine, Bioterrorism, Chemical Terrorism, Hazardous Materials (HazMat), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). After excluding any unrelated apps, a working list of apps was formed and categorized based on topics. Apps were grouped based on applicability to responders, the lay public, or regional preparedness, and were then ranked based on iTunes user reviews, value, relevance to audience, and user interface.ResultsThis search revealed 683 applications and was narrowed to 219 based on relevance to the field. After grouping the apps as described above, and subsequently ranking them, the highest quality apps were determined from each group. The Community Emergency Response Teams and FEMA had the best apps for National Disaster Medical System responders. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had high-quality apps for emergency responders in a variety of fields. The National Library of Medicine’s Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders (WISER) app was an excellent app for HazMat responders. The American Red Cross had the most useful apps for natural disasters. Numerous valuable apps for public use, including alert apps, educational apps, and a well-made regional app, were also identified.ConclusionSmartphone applications are fast becoming essential to emergency responders and the lay public. Many high-quality apps existing in various price ranges and serving different populations were identified. This field is changing rapidly and it deserves continued analysis as more apps are developed.BachmannDJ, JamisonNK, MartinA, DelgadoJ, KmanNE. Emergency preparedness and disaster response: there’s an app for that. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(5):1–5.

UNNECESSARILY NEGLECTED IN PLANNING: ILLUSTRATION OF A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO IDENTIFY HUMAN DIMENSION IMPACTS OF MARINE OIL SPILLS

2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
pp. 1250012 ◽  
Author(s):  
FABIENNE LORD ◽  
SETH TULER ◽  
THOMAS WEBLER ◽  
KIRSTIN DOW
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Damage Assessment ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Human Dimensions ◽  
Contingency Planning ◽  
Human Dimension ◽  
Contingency Plans ◽  
Negative Impacts

Technological hazards research, including that on oil spills and their aftermath, is giving greater attention to human dimension impacts resulting from events and response. While oil spill contingency planners recognize the importance of human dimension impacts, little systematic attention is given to them in contingency plans. We introduce an approach to identifying human dimensions impacts using concepts from hazard and vulnerability assessment and apply it to the Bouchard-120 oil spill in Buzzards Bay, MA. Our assessment covers the spill, emergency response, clean-up, damage assessment, and mid-term recovery. This approach, while still exploratory, did demonstrate that the spill produced a range of positive and negative impacts on people and institutions and that these were mediated by vulnerabilities. We suggest ways in which the framework may help spill managers to learn from events and improve contingency planning by anticipating risks to social systems and identifying strategies to reduce impacts.

Responsible Science and Research Animal Use

ILAR Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Patricia V Turner ◽  
R Wayne Barbee
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Research ◽  
Animal Science ◽  
Scientific Excellence ◽  
Experimental Planning ◽  
Animal Use ◽  
Animal Care ◽  
Science And Research ◽  
Ethical Oversight ◽  
Animal Handlers

Abstract This issue of the ILAR Journal focuses on the topic of responsible science as it relates to animal research. We start with the concept of the scientist as a responsible citizen and then move through multiple phases of research including careful experimental planning, reporting, and incorporation of laboratory animal science. The work of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or animal ethical/oversight body in reviewing both animal use and contributing to scientific excellence is explored. Additional topics include protection of animal handlers from multiple experimental hazards, use of agricultural animals and wildlife studies, regulatory ambiguities, and harmonization of animal research. Rounding out the issue is a discussion of how animal care and use programs can enhance animal welfare while mitigating regulatory burden, and our responsibility to clearly communicate the ethical use of animals in advancing biomedical research. A deeper understanding of these topics can assist scientists in simultaneously advancing their research and animal welfare.

scholarly journals Ensuring due process in the IACUC and animal welfare setting: considerations in developing noncompliance policies and procedures for institutional animal care and use committees and institutional officials

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 4216-4225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara C. Hansen ◽  
Sylvia Gografe ◽  
Stacy Pritt ◽  
Kai‐lin Catherine Jen ◽  
Camille A. McWhirter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Due Process ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Animal Care

Workplace Fatigue Within Summer Camp: Perspectives From Camp Health Care Providers and Directors

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-87
Author(s):  
Alexsandra Dubin ◽  
Barry A. Garst ◽  
Tracey Gaslin ◽  
Beth E. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Summer Camps ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Analysis Process ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Negative Impacts

Background: Summer camps engage millions of youth in enrichment opportunities during the summertime while employing a substantial young adult workforce to provide high-quality programs and services to camp participants. Workplace fatigue has been implicated in camp-related injury and illness events, yet few studies have targeted fatigue among camp employees. Purpose: This study aimed to better understand how fatigue impacted employee performance as well as strategies for reducing the negative impacts of fatigue within camp settings. Methodology/Approach: Focus groups were conducted with camp health care providers and directors, and their responses were analyzed using directed content analysis. The analysis process was guided by sensitizing concepts from the literature. Findings/Conclusions: Emergent themes suggested that camp-related fatigue is conceptualized as a construct of time, types, and causes; is a distinct experience leading to setting-specific outcomes; is managed using administrative and peer supports; and is sometimes perceived in positive ways. Implications: This exploratory study highlighted the unique challenges associated with working in a camp setting and the potential development of fatigue as a starting point informing future research. It suggests that future research should include a broader study population, including frontline staff, as well as possible quantitative measures.

Providers’ experience of abortion care: A scoping review protocol. (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Dempsey ◽  
S Callaghan ◽  
MF Higgins
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Academic Journal ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Abortion Care ◽  
Ethical Approval ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Cochrane Library

UNSTRUCTURED Background: Despite being one of the most common gynaecological procedures in the world, abortion care remains highly stigmatized. Internationally, providers have noted negative impacts related to their involvement in the services and abortion care has been described as “dirty work”. Though much of the existing research focuses on the challenges of providing, many have also highlighted the positive aspects of working in abortion care. Despite the steadily increasing interest in this area over the past decade, however, no one has sought to systematically review the literature to date. The aim of this review is to systematically explore published studies on the experiences of abortion care providers and to create a narrative review on the lived experience of providing abortion care. Methods: The review will be conducted according to the framework outlined by Levac et al., which expanded on the popular Arksey and O’Malley framework. We will systematically search for peer-reviewed articles in literature in six electronic databases: CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science. Following a pilot exercise, we have devised a search strategy to identify relevant studies. In this protocol, we outline how citations will be assessed for eligibility and what information will be extracted from the included articles. We also highlight how this information will be combined in the review. Discussion: The findings of this review will provide a comprehensive overview on the known experiences of providing abortion care. We also pre-empt that the findings will identify aspects of care and/or experiences that are not reflected in the available literature. We will disseminate the results via a publication in a peer-reviewed, academic journal and by presenting the findings at conferences in the areas of abortion care, obstetrics, and midwifery. As this review is a secondary analysis of published articles, ethical approval was not required.

scholarly journals The Views of the UK Public Towards Routine Neutering of Dogs and Cats

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chanakarn Wongsaengchan ◽  
Dorothy McKeegan
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Linear Model ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
General Linear Model ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Future Policy ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Level Of Agreement

Despite being routinely recommended by veterinarians, neutering of dogs and cats has both positive and negative impacts on animal welfare and is ethically problematic. We examined attitudes of a sample of the UK public towards routine neutering of dogs and cats using a questionnaire. Respondents indicated their level of agreement with statements describing welfare and ethical reasons ‘for’ and ‘against’ the neutering of male and female dogs and cats. We conducted a general linear model (GLM) analysis to investigate the effects of demographic factors on agreement scores. Respondents (n = 451) expressed views both supporting and opposing neutering. The predominant view (>80%) supported neutering, justified primarily by prevention of unwanted offspring and reproductive diseases. Around 10% of the respondents disagreed and felt that neutering should only be done for medical reasons. Men were less likely than women to support neutering (p < 0.001). Those with meat reduction diets were more likely to be against neutering (p < 0.05) and cat owners supported neutering more than non-cat owners (p < 0.05). Although the data reflected a wide range of ethical views, our findings show that the UK public generally supports the routine neutering of dogs and cats. This insight has implications for future policy-making and compliance with veterinary advice.

Animal Research Pathology: Regulatory and Safety Considerations

ILAR Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-118
Author(s):  
J M Wallace ◽  
R L Trundy
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Hazardous Materials ◽  
Principal Investigator ◽  
Animal Research ◽  
Laboratory Personnel ◽  
Safety Requirements ◽  
Safety Considerations ◽  
Animal Care

Abstract Animal research pathology encompasses a wide array of procedures and may involve work with a variety of animal species and hazards. To protect laboratory personnel and ensure data integrity, pathologists must be familiar with the activities performed in their laboratories and the applicable regulatory and safety requirements. Failure to address issues proactively may result in exposure of personnel to hazardous materials and/or collection of data in a manner that does not conform to animal welfare or quality control standards. This manuscript provides a brief introduction to important animal research pathology regulatory and safety considerations. The importance of close communication between the principal investigator, pathologist, laboratory personnel, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and institutional safety office/experts is emphasized and a mechanism for improving communication is discussed.

Emergency and Disaster Preparedness at a Tertiary Medical City

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Housam Adin M. AlHarastani ◽  
Yousef Ibrahim Alawad ◽  
Bandana Devi ◽  
Benly G. Mosqueda ◽  
Vanessa Tamayo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical City ◽  
Critical Resources

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the readiness of a tertiary medical cityʼs response to a disaster by assessing the hospital resources and knowledge, attitudes, practices, and familiarity of health care providers toward disaster and emergency preparedness. Methods: All KFMC (King Fahad Medical City) staff with > 1 year of clinical experience were eligible to participate in a cross-sectional study. Participants responded to the Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ), knowledge and practice questionnaires, and a disaster planning attitude checklist. Data about resources were collected using the hospital disaster preparedness self-assessment tool. Results: The overall mean knowledge score for disaster and emergency preparedness was 4.4 ± 1.1, and the mean overall familiarity score was 3.43 ± 0.97. Most participants knew that disaster drills (90.2%) and training (74.6%) are ongoing. Sixty-six (21.0%) agreed that KFMC is unlikely to experience a disaster. The highest and lowest EPIQ familiarity scores were for decontamination (83.0%) and accessing critical resources and reporting (64.3%), respectively. Most participants (99.4%) have access to work computers; however, only 53.0% used the Internet to access information on bioterrorism and/or emergency preparedness. The hospital is ready to respond in case of a disaster according to the used tool. Conclusions: The participants’ levels of knowledge, practices, and overall familiarity toward emergency and disaster preparedness were satisfactory; however, participant attitudes and familiarity with where and how to access critical resources in the event of an emergency or disaster situations require reinforcement.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document