3Rs-Related and Objective Indicators to Help Assess the Culture of Care

Abstract

Simple Summary‘Culture of Care’ within animal research and testing refers to a commitment to improve animal welfare, the quality of the science, staff morale, and openness with the public. An effective Culture of Care should also promote the replacement of animal experiments with humane alternatives, reductions in animal numbers and suffering, and better welfare through the refinement of procedures, housing, husbandry and care (collectively known as the 3Rs). The Culture of Care is recognized as the foundation of humane and responsible science, but the concept should be applied in a meaningful way and not simply used as a ‘buzzword’. Recognizing this, some establishments have begun to define and assess their individual Culture of Care. This paper provides some examples of their approaches to surveying staff and external colleagues. It also sets out some suggestions for objective criteria for assessing the Culture of Care, and for indicators that capture progress with each of the 3Rs. The aim is to complement the growing literature on the Culture of Care and highlight some sources of information and inspiration to help establishments tailor their own assessments.AbstractWithin animal research and testing, the need for an effective Culture of Care is widely recognized and described in terms of an establishment-wide commitment to improving the implementation of the 3Rs, animal welfare, scientific quality, care of the staff, and transparency for all stakeholders, including the public. Ideally, each establishment would determine what the Culture of Care means for them, and be able to assess and potentially benchmark their own culture. Some establishments already do this, using various indicators and formal or informal assessments. This paper provides examples of these approaches to assessing the Culture of Care, including surveys and surrogate measures. Many currently-used criteria and indicators tend to be human-centric and subjective, and we suggest using further objective indicators and animal-centric, 3Rs-based criteria. It is preferable to consider each of the 3Rs separately when assessing culture, and some indicators are suggested to facilitate this. Several documents produced by regulators in the UK and European Union are good sources of objective indicators of a good Culture of Care. This concept paper aims to complement the literature on assessing the Culture of Care, providing ideas and sources of information to help identify relevant and measurable criteria.

What does a Culture of Care look like? Lessons learnt from a workshop survey

“…We would like to highlight that there are objective indicators of a Culture of Care that can be reviewed, assessed and used to drive improvements in establishments. 2,6 Readers are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with these indicators. A list of indicators that relate to the AWB itself can be found in Robinson et al; 2 selected examples can be found in Table 1.…”

“…These good practice indicators can help bring some structure to building a Culture of Care and would be a good basis to start discussions within your establishment. 2,6 We reiterate the importance for providing better opportunities for open and safe discussions on feelings and emotions among the professionals working in the field of laboratory animal research. More attention should be given for recognizing and rewarding positive behaviors and actions of staff.…”

“…Having measurable indicators of good practice can help build a Culture of Care in a more systematic fashion. 2,6 Using anonymized examples collected during a 2021 workshop, our aim is to discuss some practical actions to implement and assess an institution's Culture of Care and to reference useful frameworks that provide good practice indicators. Whilst our workshop had a UK focus, we believe that a number of the roles an AWERB can play in promoting and maintaining a Culture of Care can broadly be applied across other oversight bodies, including Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) in the United States.…”

New European Union statistics on laboratory animal use – what really counts!

“…The results of the study are -to the authors' knowledge -not published. Recently, Hawkins and Bertelsen (2019) provided 3Rs indicators to help assess the culture of care at the level of a facility. Those separate initiatives can pave the way to further actions and can be used as a baseline for future comparisons when the next statistics are released.…”

New European Union statistics on laboratory animal use – what really counts!_suppl

“…These summaries are published in the Similar investigations were performed elsewhere. For example, Taylor (2014) Hawkins and Bertelsen (2019) provided 3Rs indicators to help assess the culture of care at the level of a facility. Those separate initiatives can pave the way to further actions and can be used as a baseline for future comparisons when the next statistics are released.…”