0019 - Johnes Disease for Dairy Producers

Online Johne’s Disease Veterinary Certificate Program
Evaluation Study

Title of Study:  Improving Johne’s disease related practices among veterinarians and livestock producers through online continuing education: An evaluation research study

Study Investigator: Dr. Jeannette McDonald, DVM, PhD.  University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine

You have agreed to participate in an in depth research study of continuing education for veterinarians and livestock producers in general and more specifically an evaluation of the Johne’s Disease in Dairy Herds training.  This research is being conducted by the Technology for Learning Center at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Veterinary Medicine.  We recognize the many challenges you face as a livestock producer and the need for effective and efficient continuing education to keep you abreast of practice changes, new knowledge, etc.  We believe the findings of this study will contribute to the ongoing quality improvement process in continuing education in veterinary medicine.

Overall 20 livestock producers like yourself will be participating in this in-depth evaluation and we appreciate your willingness to be part of this elite group. Your participation is entirely voluntary and you may drop out at any time for whatever reason.  We are hoping, however, that you will be able to participate for the duration of the study as you are representing thousands of livestock producers interested in controlling Johne’s disease.

The main study consists of two short email surveys and one interview.  The email surveys will need to be completed before you begin the Johne’s Disease in Dairy Herds course and within one week after you finish the course.  The telephone interview will be conducted 3 months after you complete the post-course survey. 

There will be an honorarium of $100 for your participation in the two surveys and telephone interview.  It will be paid after completing the 3-month telephone interview. Your decision to participate in this research is entirely voluntary.  If you do decide to participate, you may change your mind at any time without penalty or loss of benefits that you had prior to the study. You will however not receive the honorarium in its entirety with the amount received dependant on when you ceased participating in the evaluation.  Full participation is, however, highly desirable as each of you represents several thousand livestock producers.

A follow-up study with 10 livestock producers, selected from the initial 20 livestock producers will also be conducted. The study consists of a 360-degree evaluation, also known as a multisource feedback evaluation, to be conducted via a short survey to be completed by peer livestock producers and members of your livestock production team, including your veterinarian. 

You will receive 5 surveys specific to peer livestock producers and 5 surveys appropriate to those members of your livestock production team.  You or a member of your team may distribute these surveys by regular mail or in person.  Postage paid envelopes, addressed to our research office, will be provided with each of the surveys.  We will also provide you an optional form to track survey distribution.  Finally, if you wish, we will provide you with a multisource feedback evaluation summary (a summary of survey responses from your peers and your production team.  Average responses from all surveys collected in this study as well as a compilation of the responses specific to you, with all identifiers removed, will be provided to you as tools for your personal use. 

An additional $100 honorarium will be provided for your participation in this follow-up study.

There are no known risks of participating in this evaluation and everything will be done to ensure your anonymity, although a breach of confidentiality is always a possibility in any study.  We do recognize that data collection, especially interviews, can be time-consuming and we will schedule interviews at your convenience, will take no more than one hour per interview and ensure short surveys are just that – short in length and the time needed to complete it.  All identifiers will be removed from the data and no names will be attributed to evaluation comments that might be used in addition to any aggregate data presented in numerical form. In addition, all data will be stored in a secure place. 

There are no direct benefits guaranteed to you from participating in this study, at least not initially.  However, in the spirit of continuous quality improvement, we anticipate that any resultant publications and sharing of findings in other ways, will improve continuing education for veterinarians [livestock producers] over time – a benefit to us all.  There are also no costs to you associated with participating aside from the time invested as noted above.   

If you have questions about this research, please contact the study investigator, Dr. Jeannette McDonald at (608) 263-5170 or via email at mcdonal7@wisc.edu
If you have any questions about your rights as a research subject, contact Kim Moreland at 608-262-9710 or via email at klmorela@education.wisc.edu.

After completion of the course you will be sent a post-course survey to complete Approximately 3 months after you complete the program you will be contacted for the phone interview.  You will be sent your $100 honorarium after the phone interview.  During the phone interview you may be offered the opportunity to participate in the follow up study.  If offered, it will be your choice whether or not to participate in the follow up study, with an addition $100 honorarium.