Journal clubs - inFOCUS

A journal club is an opportunity for a group of people to come together to discuss a published paper. The motivation for setting up a journal club will vary, depending on the subject of the paper and what the group hope to get out of the discussion. Reasons may include improving critical appraisal skills, assessing the quality of a paper and the evidence it presents, and providing a basis for discussion about current practice and how this could change in order to improve quality of care.

For those without experience of assessing published evidence it can be difficult to know where to start. RCVS Knowledge has produced a step-by-step guide to setting up and running a journal club and a checklist to guide your discussion of papers. The QI Boxset which is available on the RCVS Knowledge e-learning platform includes the following Setting up and running a journal club in practice (webinar) and WhatsApp journal clubs (podcast) (Registration required).

Journal clubs – suggested reading material

Training and validation of a novel non-invasive imaging system for ruling out malignancy in canine subcutaneous and cutaneous masses using machine learning in 664 masses
| Frontiers in Veterinary Science | 2023 | This study reports the training and validation of a test to rule out malignancy in cutaneous and subcutaneous masses using an imaging system…
Equine umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells demonstrate safety and efficacy in the treatment of canine osteoarthritis: a randomized placebo-controlled trial
| Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association | 2022 | The aim of this blinded, randomised and placebo-controlled study, was to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of equine umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (available in the UK as ...
Antibiotic use in small animal practice
| Journal of Small Animal Practice | 2023 | and Preventive Veterinary Medicine | 2020 | Two papers relating to antibiotic use in small animal practice…
Incidence and type of peripheral intravenous catheter complications documented in hospitalised dogs
| Journal of Small Animal Practice | 2022 | The aim of this prospective, observational study was to report the incidence and type of peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) complications in dogs admitted to either the Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU) or ...
Antimicrobial prescribing and antimicrobial resistance surveillance in equine practice
|Equine Veterinary Journal | 2022 | This paper reports on the findings of a survey asking questions about the current antimicrobial prescribing practices and behaviours of veterinary surgeons in equine practice..
UK veterinary professionals’ perceptions and experiences of adverse drug reaction reporting
| Veterinary Record | 2022 | This paper reports on the findings of a survey asking questions about the barriers, perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of UK veterinary professionals towards adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting…
2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats
| Journal of the American Hospital Association | 2022 | The aim of these guidelines, produced by a task force of experts invited by the American Animal Hospital Association, is to help members of the veterinary team to assess pain ...
Efficacy and safety of enflicoxib for treatment of canine osteoarthritis
| Veterinary Record | 2021 | The objective of this prospective randomised controlled trial was to confirm the safety and efficacy of enflicoxib for the treatment of naturally occurring osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs …
A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial comparing the incidence and severity of gastrointestinal adverse events in dogs with cancer treated with piroxicam alone or in combination with omeprazole or famotidine
| Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association | 2021 | The aim of this randomised placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial was to assess the impact of prophylactic administration of omeprazole or famotidine on the incidence and severity of gastrointestinal adverse events ...
Evaluation of prescribing practices for gabapentin as an analgesic among veterinary professionals
| Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia | 2021 | This paper reports on the prescribing practices of GP and specialist vets relating to gabapentin as an analgesic …
Antimicrobial & antiparasitic use and resistance in British sheep and cattle
| Preventive Veterinary Medicine | 2020 | The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review of the use and resistance of antimicrobials and antiparasitics in cattle and sheep production in Britain, to provide an overview of ...
Staphylococcal bacterial contamination of portable electronic devices in a large veterinary hospital
| Journal of Small Animal Practice | 2020 | This study aimed to determine the prevalence of staphylococcal contamination on portable electronic devices (PEDs), such as mobile phones and tablets, to identify the level of contamination and to determine whether ...
Assisting decision-making on age of neutering for 35 breeds of dogs: Associated joint disorders, cancers, and urinary incontinence
|Frontiers in Veterinary Science | 2020 | This paper used hospital records, covering a 15-year period, from the Veterinary Medical Teaching hospital at the University of California, to analyse the risk of specific joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering ...
Randomized controlled clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of intratumoral treatment of canine mast cell tumors with tigilanol tiglate (EBC‐46)
|Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine | 2020 | This paper reports on a randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of a new treatment for mast cell tumours…
Recognition, Treatment, and Monitoring of Canine Hypovolaemic Shock
| Topics in Companion Animal Medicine | 2020 | This paper could be used as the basis of a discussion on the management of hypovolaemic shock in dogs …
Staff attitudes to and compliance with the use of a surgical safety checklist
| Journal of Small Animal Practice | 2020 | This recently published paper could be a useful way of discussing the benefits and potential barriers to the introduction of surgical safety checklists in a practice …

Journal clubs – suggested reading material

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