Veterinary charity RCVS Knowledge and the University of Nottingham have launched a project that aims to create a bespoke veterinary Quality Improvement (QI) model that provides a proven return on investment for veterinary practices and animal owners.
This is the first time that two leading organisations in veterinary QI are collaborating to establish a novel evidence-based model for QI specific to veterinary care. Jocelyn Toner has been appointed to oversee the project and is working closely with both RCVS Knowledge and the University of Nottingham. Jocelyn is an experienced veterinary surgeon with a background in shelter medicine and an interest in evidence-based interventions to improve welfare outcomes.
The team will test the model against a prevalent problem in practice and will use robust methodology to measure the cost of making the changes against the benefit it brings. They will refine the model based on lessons learned before they make it available to all veterinary practices, to tackle any area a practice wants to improve, regardless of practice type or specialism. The aim is to help time-poor practitioners implement proven QI methods to improve outcomes and provide a return on investment.
The three-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is being funded by UKRI Innovate UK. It will enable RCVS Knowledge and the University of Nottingham to integrate highly specialised expertise in Quality Improvement (QI) with robust study design.
Jocelyn Toner, Quality Improvement Development Lead at RCVS Knowledge, said: “I’m looking forward to working with colleagues from across the sector to develop a model that will make Quality Improvement more accessible, and show that it can have a real economic benefit. We know that there is increased demand for veterinary teams to provide more efficient and effective care while maintaining high levels of animal welfare, improving team welfare and client satisfaction. Over recent years an increasing number of veterinary teams have embraced QI techniques. Now is the time to take this to the next level by creating an evidence-based model for QI, which can be applied systematically in any veterinary setting.
Dr Marnie Brennan, Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, said: “We are delighted to be forging this unique partnership with RCVS Knowledge that provides an opportunity to develop bespoke training to assist veterinary professionals in their quest to deliver quality veterinary care for better patient outcomes, and more efficient and sustainable practice. Our team is looking forward to helping build a rigorously designed and tested model that is tailored to the needs of the veterinary professions.”
The project will involve bringing together veterinary professionals to co-design the model and test it in practice. If you are interested in supporting this work, please register your interest here.