Can Clinical Audit Influence the Actions of Farmers and Vets to Benefit Sheep Health and Welfare?

Abstract

Abstract Clinical audits have been used in human healthcare for a long time, however, their use in the livestock sector is low, with very few examples in the literature. By using clinical audits to assess treatment procedures and outcomes, evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) guidance can be drawn up to influence medication selection and usage. One of the key benefits of this is to help reduce antibiotic over-prescription and, influence the category of an antibiotic selected (using the European Medicines Agency categorisation of antibiotics).This case study will use an ovine caesarean section and assisted vaginal delivery (AVD) clinical audit (Charles and Stockton, 2022) as a case example. This case will also reference unpublished data assessing the impact of the 2022 audit recommendations which was discussed at the Sheep Veterinary Society Conference, 2023 (Charles, 2023b). Information © The Author 2023