With recently completed studies of South Carolina veterinarians and United States veterinary medicine schools, Dr. George Dickinson is crossing the pond in early 2013 to duplicate this research among
veterinarians in the United Kingdom. The research will focus on veterinarians’ observations about end-of-life issues and the emphasis on end-of-life issues in schools of veterinary medicine.
Why study vets? There are several important differences between vets and medical doctors when dealing with end-of-life issues. As Dr. Dickinson explains, “Veterinarians are asked to assist with decision-making regarding euthanasia of a companion animal and they are responsible for executing the assignment. This is not an option for medical doctors. Additionally, unlike physicians, veterinarians are often asked to dispose of the dead remains of the animal. These differences would naturally put more stress on a veterinarian than a medical doctor”.
Dr. Dickinson will be a Visiting Research Fellow at the Bristol College of Veterinary Medicine during his time in the UK and he will be collaborating with the Royal College of Veterinary Sciences. Data will be gathered via a mailed survey to a random sample of approximately 500 veterinarians and the 7 veterinary science schools (Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Nottingham, and the Royal Veterinary College in London). Data collected through the UK research will be compared to previously collected U.S. data to identify similarities and differences. A study like this has never been conducted in the UK.
In addition to the study with veterinarians, Dr. Dickinson will be replicating a study with geriatricians that he previously conducted in the UK in 1999. This research is looking at attitudes toward end-of-life issues, particularly euthanasia, through surveys administered to a sample of British Geriatric Society members. Previous results were entered into the records of the British Parliament in their debates about legalizing euthanasia. This debate continues and Dr. Dickinson’s contributions should be informative in their decision-making.
We wish Dr. Dickinson safe travels! Please check back with us for updates on his work.
To contribute to faculty research like Dr. Dickinson’s, please visit our website.