Celebrating five years of our journal watch inFOCUS

In 2017, in response to the growing need for practitioners to keep up-to-date with the latest evidence, RCVS Knowledge launched inFOCUS, an innovative veterinary journal watch. Five years on, inFOCUS has grown from strength to strength, with 30 published issues, 8,500 subscribers and nearly 120,000 page views, reaching veterinary professionals across the world – including the UK, USA, Indonesia, Australia, and China.

Produced bi-monthly by RCVS Knowledge’s Library and Information Service, the content of over 100 veterinary journals and other key sources are watched to compile a shortlist of the most important articles with the potential to positively impact patient care, across a broad range of disciplines.

As well as the journal watch, inFOCUS has expanded to include a range of ‘In the Spotlight’ features, journal club resources and ‘Research Focus’ podcasts, all created to help busy practitioners apply an evidence-based approach in practice.

Articles featured in inFOCUS are assessed by a Clinical Review Team, made up of 25 veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses with a range of experience and expertise, and scored against set criteria relating to their relevance, quality, and interest to the veterinary practitioner. The top-scoring articles are then reviewed and summarised with helpful commentary to help practitioners improve the quality of care they deliver. The summaries are structured to breakdown the key aspects of the paper, keeping the busy practitioner in mind:

• What is the aim of the study or paper? (E.g., what question is being asked or answered?)
• How was the study or review carried out? (E.g., the study methodology, the literature search strategy and who was involved in developing guidelines.)
• What were the findings? (Including the results or recommendations)
• What are the limitations?
• What is the take-home message? (Including the bottom line for implementation in practice.)

Clare Boulton, Head of Library and Knowledge Services at RCVS Knowledge, said, “We are incredibly proud of inFOCUS, and the continued hard work put in by RCVS Knowledge’s staff and the Clinical Review Team. inFOCUS removes barriers to accessing and reflecting upon the latest veterinary research, and we are pleased that our efforts have been extremely well received by the veterinary community.”

The latest issue of inFOCUS was released today, check it out online, or subscribe to receive the next edition in your inbox.