Client perceptions improve with collaborative care when managing dogs with cancer: a Collaborative Care Coalition study.

OBJECTIVE: Collaboration between primary care veterinarians (pcVets) and veterinary oncologists is common for dogs diagnosed with cancer, but no data exist that explore dog owner utilization and perceptions of collaborative care. The objectives were to describe dog owner perceptions of the value of collaborative veterinary cancer care and identify drivers of a positive collaborative care experience between the pcVet and oncologic specialists. SAMPLE: 890 US dog owners who had pets diagnosed with cancer in the past 3 years. PROCEDURES: Online contextual survey. Data were analyzed using group comparisons and multiple regression analysis. Significance was set at P < .05. RESULTS: 76% of clients sought specialty care following cancer diagnosis in their dog. Seventy percent of owners across all income brackets indicated that referral to a specialist was a very good value based on money spent and outcomes. Delayed referral resulted in lower client satisfaction scores for pcVets. Top predictors of client satisfaction with pcVets were as follows: responsiveness to questions, staying involved with their dog's care, and willingness to work with other veterinarians and specialists. For specialists, top predictors were as follows: providing accurate cost estimates, cancer knowledge, and effectiveness of care. Client perceptions of pcVets were 6 times more likely to improve following referral to a specialist. All were significant predictors of owner advocacy (P < .0001). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dog owners perceived early collaboration between pcVets and specialists favorably, fostering client satisfaction and positive perceptions of the value for service provided for dogs diagnosed with cancer.

Aggression and food resource competition between sympatric hermit crab species.

The vertical zonation patterns of intertidal organisms have been topics of interest to marine ecologists for many years, with interspecific food competition being implicated as a contributing factor to intertidal community organization. In this study, we used behavioral bioassays to examine the potential roles that interspecific aggression and food competition have on the structuring of intertidal hermit crab assemblages. We studied two ecologically similar, sympatric hermit crab species, Clibanarius digueti [1] and Paguristes perrieri [2], which occupy adjacent zones within the intertidal region of the Gulf of California. During the search phase of foraging, C. digueti showed higher frequencies of aggressive behaviors than P. perrieri. In competition assays, C. digueti gained increased access to food resources compared to P. perrieri. The results suggest that food competition may play an important role in structuring intertidal hermit crab assemblages, and that the zonation patterns of Gulf of California hermit crab species may be the result of geographical displacement by the dominant food competitor (C. digueti).

Navigating the seasons of survivorship in community oncology.

Nurses have an important role in the development, implementation, and evaluation of cancer survivorship programs. Growing numbers of cancer survivors challenge community oncology practices to incorporate survivorship care according to new standards and guidelines. In response, one community-based oncology clinic created an advanced practice nurse (APN)-led survivorship program using the concept of Seasons of Survival as a guide. Survivorship care, when based on a more expansive definition of survivorship as beginning at the time of diagnosis, encompasses holistic nursing and multidisciplinary care. The APN assesses each patient's concerns and quality of life using a validated measure to tailor survivorship and supportive care. This article reviews the foundation and structure of the program in detail, describes program implementation using case studies, and outlines the program evaluation process and results.