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Leading Human Factors Veterinary group VetLed is set to bring the first ever Human Factors conference to the veterinary profession

This ground-breaking conference will be held virtually with lots of opportunity for interaction and connection with delegates and speakers

Have you ever felt that simply trying harder, and “making fewer mistakes” is the way to perform at your best as a member of the vet team? Did you know there is a huge field of research and decades of experience in other safety-critical industries which suggests otherwise?

Already a hot topic in human healthcare and long-standing in aviation, the study of Human Factors is about to explode into the veterinary profession.

What do we mean by Human Factors?

The study of Human Factors combines scientific knowledge about the human body, mind and behaviour to better understand the factors that contribute to being able to perform at our best.

Veterinary professionals possess a huge amount of skill, knowledge and experience – both clinical and non-clinical. However, simply possessing these alone does not automatically lead to exceptional care – our performance is impacted by so much more.

When we think about it, it seems so obvious! Of course we perform better when we are rested, hydrated, nourished, and working within a positive workplace culture where we feel safe to talk about our great results… and our not so great ones. Yet how many of us prioritise these factors when thinking about how we or our team could perform better, as well as reduce the risk of errors?

Do we truly recognise just how much these “Human Factors” impact on ourselves and our patients daily?

The Veterinary Human Factors Conference has been brought to fruition to support delegates in creating this learning culture and helping their team members to develop and nurture a growth mindset, a critical factor in making the shift from a blame culture to a “just culture”.

A workplace in which learning from our good days and our bad days is openly encouraged at all levels of the team is far more likely to achieve their goals and, ultimately, will be one that people want to join and stay in.

Explore why Human Factors matters in veterinary practice

This ground-breaking conference will be held virtually with lots of opportunity for interaction and connection with delegates and speakers. Hear about the latest in patient safety, how to deal with a mistake, how to prevent avoidable harm, the importance of reporting the positive as well as the unexpected outcomes, what we can learn from human healthcare (and what we can do better!), how to support a culture in which your team feel and function at their best and much, much more!

“As a veterinary surgeon, I am so thankful to have discovered the field of Human Factors! Every day our professional performance depends on how we perform as a human being. A close understanding of what factors limit and maximise my chance of best patient outcomes is critical to being the best vet I can be! The pilots and the medics have embraced Human Factors as central to their roles in a safety-critical profession – and as vets, now is our time!” – Cat Auden, VetLed

Featuring two streams full of practically-applicable Human Factors tools and techniques, explore the latest from veterinary researchers in the Human Factors field, plus discussion panels, TED-style talks, to Q and As with the speakers.

Encouraging leadership in every member of the vet team

VetLed particularly encourages the visionary change-makers in your practice to attend – those with the drive for development and passion for your practice team performing at its best! As such, it hopes to see representation from every member of the vet team (clinical and non-clinical), including vets, nurses, animal care assistants, customer care teams and managers.

Showcasing the latest cutting-edge research with exclusive Pre-Conference Sessions

Well established across many fields, the study of Human Factors in veterinary medicine is progressing rapidly. Research, collaboration and community are integral to furthering this understanding. In recognition of this, VetLed will also be hosting a diverse programme of abstract presentations and TED talks from researchers, alongside veterinary professionals in practice. The Pre-Conference Sessions will launch live Thursday 25th February, ahead of the full conference programme.

Keynote Talk with inspirational Martin Bromiley OBE: “How Mistakes Can Save Lives”

Delegates will come together at the end of the day for an empowering keynote talk with Martin Bromiley OBE:

“In 2005 Martin Bromiley’s late wife died needlessly during a routine hospital procedure. A subsequent independent review identified that a well-equipped operating theatre and a team of clinicians all technically skilled, had failed to respond appropriately to an unanticipated emergency. It wasn’t the clinicians that failed; it was the system and training that failed them by making it hard to do the right things.”

As a result of Martin’s tragedy, he founded the Clinical Human Factors Group, a charitable trust which aims to create a learning culture, as well as raise awareness, challenge and promote best practice around human factors. Since inception the Group has promoted human factors at the highest levels in human healthcare. This is the first time Martin has spoken to the veterinary profession about his experiences and insights.

Get your ticket

Visit The Veterinary Human Factors Conference website to buy your ticket – including exclusive access to The Pre-Conference Sessions. Ticket holders will have access to the entire event content for a full year.

The Early Bird ticket offer only runs until 8 January 2020 so get your ticket today!

Veterinary Practice

Improve Veterinary Practice (part of the Improve International Group) is an online knowledge and information hub for veterinary professionals across all specialties. It provides reliable, useful and interesting content, written by expert authors and covering small animal, large animal, exotics, equine and practice management
sectors of the veterinary surgeon and nursing professions.

Improve Veterinary Practice also offers a subscription-based membership, offering CPD courses and much more for the whole veterinary community.

Improve Veterinary Practice exists to inspire and inform your day-to-day work, and enable your ongoing professional development.


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