ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to develop a critical appraisal (CA) tool that addressed study design and reporting quality as well as the risk of bias in cross-sectional studies (CSSs). In addition, the aim was to produce a help document to guide the non-expert user through the tool.DesignAn initial scoping review of the published literature and key epidemiological texts was undertaken prior to the formation of a Delphi panel to establish key components for a CA tool for CSSs. A consensus of 80% was required from the Delphi panel for any component to be included in the final tool.ResultsAn initial list of 39 components was identified through examination of existing resources. An international Delphi panel of 18 medical and veterinary experts was established. After 3 rounds of the Delphi process, the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS tool) was developed by consensus and consisted of 20 components. A detailed explanatory document was also developed with the tool, giving expanded explanation of each question and providing simple interpretations and examples of the epidemiological concepts being examined in each question to aid non-expert users.ConclusionsCA of the literature is a vital step in evidence synthesis and therefore evidence-based decision-making in a number of different disciplines. The AXIS tool is therefore unique and was developed in a way that it can be used across disciplines to aid the inclusion of CSSs in systematic reviews, guidelines and clinical decision-making.

SUMMARYThe Quality of Interactions Schedule (QUIS) was developed as part of the prospective evaluation of two residential domus units for elderly people with severe mental illnesses. QUIS is an observational strategy in which social interactions between residents and care staff are coded as positive social, positive care, neutral, negative protective or negative restrictive. The interrater reliabilities of both the observational technique and the category codings were good. In the domus evaluation, QUIS demonstrated that the number and quality of interactions were significantly improved in both domuses compared to a baseline hospital ward at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months follow-up. In particular, the number of negative interactions observed fell to almost zero in the domuses at 12 months.KEY woms-Domus, nursing home environments, quality of care, dementia, schizophrenia, QUIS In recent years, observational methods have found a useful place in the evaluation of continuing care facilities for elderly people with mental and physical impairments. In these settings the use of other means to explore residents' experiences, such as interviewing and self-rating, is seriously limited because of problems with respondent bias, reluctance to disclose sensitive or critical information, and unreliability due to cognitive impairment on the part of the residents (Clark and Bowling, 1990). As an alternative, observational strategies derived from other areas of sociological and anthropological research have been developed in these settings to obtain more objective data on the process and outcome of residential care.What may be coded and analysed through observation of the care process is potentially unlimited, and researchers are obliged to identify and develop a number of specific categories of observable * Address for correspondence behaviour and interaction that relate to the ideas that they and service providers have about the elderly, their needs and the purposes of continuing care. In one early study of four types of care setting for the elderly using observational methods, Godlove et al. (1982) developed an event-sampling strategy in which 23 activities and contacts with seven classes of people were coded and the frequency of their occurrence recorded by observers at 10-second intervals over a 6-hour period. This rather detailed and time-consuming procedure has been simplified and validated as the Short Observation Method (SOM) by Macdonald et al. (1985), in which the coded activities are restricted to 10 and the observation period restricted to a representative 1 -hour period before lunch. Similar approaches to the coding of observational data have been developed by others interested in the activities and behaviour of elderly people in residential settings (McCormack and Whitehead, 1981;Simpson et al., 1981; Ward et af., 1992).Quantitative approaches to observational data-

HighlightsWe provide a clear methodology for the assessment of validity, reliability and quality of life (QoL) instruments.Few authors of publications containing a QoL instrument define quality of life.Few of the instruments published for the assessment of QoL in dogs are validated.The quality of validated instruments for the assessment of QoL in dogs is variable.

REVISED VERSION FEBRUARY 2012 2 Grindlay et al. A comparison of the coverage of veterinary journals by nine bibliographic databases.ABSTRACT A thorough search of the literature to find the best evidence is central to the practice of evidence-based veterinary medicine. This requires knowledge of which databases to search to maximise journal coverage. The aim of this study was to compare the coverage of active veterinary journals by nine bibliographic databases to inform future systematic reviews and other evidence-based searches. Coverage was assessed using lists of included journals produced by the database providers. For 121 active veterinary journals in the "Basic list of veterinary medical serials, third edition", the percentage coverage was highest for Scopus (98.3%) and CAB Abstracts (97.5%). For an extensive list of 1139 journals with significant veterinary content compiled from a variety of sources, coverage was much greater in CAB Abstracts (90.2%) than in any of the other databases, the next highest coverage being in Scopus (58.3%). The maximum coverage of the extensive journal list that could be obtained in a search without including CAB Abstracts was 69.8%. It was concluded that to maximise journal coverage and avoid missing potentially relevant evidence, CAB Abstracts should be included in any search of the veterinary literature.

BackgroundThe population of dogs and cats passing through rescue shelters may be subject to compromised welfare and increased susceptibility to disease. Little information exists to describe this population, its dynamics and associated management practices. The aim of this study was to carry out a census of un-owned cats and dogs in the UK in 2010, and to document the origins, destinations, husbandry and costs associated with the care of these animals.ResultsA sampling frame was constructed by searching the databases of publicly registered charities for England, Scotland and Wales, registers of breed rescues, and by internet searches of animal welfare websites. Overall, 2,352 contacts for 1,380 organisations were identified. All were sent a postal questionnaire asking for data on the number of dogs and cats housed, their origins and eventual outcomes, and details of husbandry between January 1st and December 31st 2010. For those which were registered charities (595), financial records were also obtained.A response rate of 38.8% was obtained. Overall, in 2010, 89,571 dogs and 156,826 cats entered the care of the participating organisations. Approximately half of these animals were relinquished by their owners. Other origins included being found as strays or confiscated for welfare purposes. Seventy-five per cent of dogs and 77.1% of cats were rehomed. The next most common outcome was euthanasia, accounting for 10.4% of dogs and 13.2% cats. For dogs and cats, 44.3% and 62% of participants respectively reported having a waiting list, which frequently exceeded the actual capacity of the facility. Over 19,000 people were involved in the care of these animals, on a paid or voluntary basis. Financial records were available for 519/595 (87.2%) of the registered charities, and their total expenditure in 2010 was £340 million.ConclusionsThis study showed that a large number of animals become un-owned each year, which could have considerable implications for their welfare. Despite the resources expended, demand still exceeds capacity for many organisations, and a substantial number of both cats and dogs are euthanased, suggesting that further understanding of how and why these animals become un-owned is essential in order to target interventions.