"Congress attendees have always wanted to listen to research generated from clinical practice and BEVA would like to encourage practitioners to share this research at Congress. For 2024, the clinical research subcommittee in association with Equine Veterinary Journal have introduced a new abstract category, the Clinical Descriptive abstract (CDA)
The foundation of equine clinical research is the descriptive clinical report, be that a case report or a retrospective case series. Descriptive abstracts are intended to allow clinicians to report observations from clinical cases that shed light on possible harms, treatment outcomes, or approaches to diagnosis and therapy, that might be of interest to congress delegates.
The Abstract Guidelines provide guidance on the two submission options.
An important differentiation between the two submission types is word count, with the descriptive option allowing 500 words. The headings for the descriptive abstract aim to be more open and encourage description, allowing authors more freedom and perhaps reduce the perceived importance of trying to demonstrate or report something of statistical significance.
Another VERY important difference between abstract types is that for a descriptive abstract (and ONLY this route) authors can upload supplementary files for reviewer use and these might include:
Figures or flow charts to support description of the case population or the clinical problem.
Figures to support description of the intervention.
Photographs/diagrams of the technique or approach being described.
Figures or images to support clinical observations, diagnostic imaging or surgical findings and summary tables to support clinical observations.
In the abstract guidelines EVJ editor Celia Marr, has created two clinical descriptive abstract examples, demonstrating how one may present both a case report and a case series in the new descriptive format.
We are very much looking forward to receiving abstracts and hope you find the new format both welcoming and interesting to listen to at congress."
James Crabtree is the Chair of the BEVA Clinical Research Sub Committee for 2024.
James graduated from Edinburgh in 2001. After four years in mixed practice, he transitioned into equine stud practice and now leads the team at Equine Reproductive Services (UK). In 2010 he gained the RCVS Certificate in Stud Medicine and became an honorary lecturer at the University of Liverpool, teaching and examining CertAVP candidates. James continues to perform and publish practice-based research and collaborates widely. He is an Advanced Practitioner in Equine Stud Medicine, a BEVA council member and trustee of the International Equine Reproduction Trust. In 2022, he was awarded an RCVS Fellowship for meritorious contributions to clinical practice.