NKJ 127 Assessment of validity of the dairy health recording systems in the Nordic countries (DAHREVA)

The disease control schemes of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden were elaborated in a 1-year NKJ pilot project in 2001 (project number NKJ: 1276). The pilot project suggested three possible main reasons for differences in the numbers of treatment record s: 1) differences in the recording systems, 2) different attitudes of farmers, advisors or veterinarians to use diagnostics and veterinary therapy in different diseases or 3) differences in characteristics of the cow, the environment and the management. T here is a need for evaluations of the disease recording systems in order to calculate comparable disease risks adjusted not only for differences in calculation methods but also for differences in disease recordings. Information that will be used in the st udy is collected from the national health recording systems and with the help of questionnaires from farmers, active veterinarians and universities. Appropriate statistical methods will be used in each part of the study (parts correspond the objectives of the study). Part 1: In a prospective study, cows that are actually diseased are followed by the farmers and compared to those that are recorded in the national health recording systems as treated; reasons for differences will be investigated. Part 2: In a retrospective study, treatment journals or receipts delivered by the veterinarian at the time of the visit will be collected on the farms and compared with the records in the database covering years 2002 to 2005. Part 3: Questionnaires will be used to a ssess the farmers’ attitudes towards treatments (and the relevant therapists) and to gain the veterinarian’s knowledge about the attitudes towards similar cases, towards the farmer and towards diagnosing, recording and reporting diagnoses in the recording systems. Part 4: The total loss along the entire recording process will be quantified based on results from parts 1, 2 and 3 through a hazard analysis-approach of the data flow from the 'diseased cow' to the 'recorded disease' in the national database. P art 5: In a theoretical study, data from part 1 will be utilized to evaluate if the existing data can be used to categorize diseases into several entities depending on the purpose: clinical signs/pain for welfare purposes, presence of infectious agents fo r transmission studies, production losses for economic studies, etc. Part 6: Data from part 1 will be utilized in a similar way as in the pilot project that used 1997 data: to calculate and compare country specific disease incidences. Part 7: The knowledg e gained through this project will lead to a written guideline that can be used to form a proposal of an optimal disease recording system. Time table. During the first half of 2007, the study plan will be updated, the processes synchronized, the PhD stude nts enrolled and trained. The data sources are selected during the second part of 2007. Parts 1 - 3 will start simultaneously and their data collection will take until autumn 2009. During the last part of the study, all PhD students work on part 4. The Da nish PhD student concentrates on Part 5 as the PhD study in Denmark should be completed within 3 years. The other 3 PhD students continue with parts 4, 6 and 7. Publication goes along the studies. More detailed study plan in Appendix 2.