Menu

Why NewMetrica

  • You are here: Home » Why NewMetrica

Why NewMetrica

The VetMetrica dog and cat HRQL instruments were developed from and incorporate intellectual property rights originally created by Andrea Nolan, Jaqueline Reid, Marian Scott and Lesley Wiseman-Orr to improve the quality of life of dogs and cats. NewMetrica was co-founded by Jacqueline Reid and Lesley Wiseman-Orr to continue the development of these instruments and to make them widely available to improve animal quality of life.

NewMetrica was established in 2013, building on from more than 25 years research into animal pain assessment by a multidisciplinary team working at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

From an initial focus on acute pain measurement, around fifteen years ago, research into the impact of chronic pain led to the development of robust instruments designed to measure health – related quality of life (HRQL) in non-verbal species.

Using a foundation of best practice in human healthcare measurement, products such as VetMetrica have been specifically designed to measure how an animal “feels” from its individual perspective.

This novel approach supports a significant shift in veterinary care and animal welfare more generally, from the avoidance of poor quality of life to the attainment of good or excellent quality of life.

VetMetrica

Scientifically robust instrumentation to measure pain and health related quality of life (HRQL) in non-verbal species, including cats and dogs.

The questionnaire based tools have been developed by a team of internationally respected academics and veterinary clinicians and are validated, reliable and responsive to clinical change.
Primary applications lie in animal-based research into drug effectiveness.

Proof that therapies make a difference

VetMetrica can shorten trial length and the number of animals required to yield significant outcomes by providing scientifically validated evidence of changes to health related quality of life (HRQL) and pain management.
The HRQL for dogs instrument has been specifically designed to be compliant with all key standards, including 21CFR11. It not only qualifies the physical impact of disease but also the impact on how the animal feels, in line with the highest possible legal and ethical standards for animal welfare.
Data is captured, analysed and stored electronically; giving easy access to an effective, accurate and secure body of evidence; capable of being shared as appropriate.

Evidence based results

VetMetrica instrumentation is questionnaire based and only requires observation by owner / clinician following minimal training (which can be delivered online).
Unlike simpler alternatives, VetMetrica instrumentation has been carefully developed by commercially-minded academics to be valid, reliable and responsive to change over time.
It meets all prevailing wisdom and scientific criteria to deliver robust measurement of;
Presence versus absence of pain/disease*
The affective components of the pain/disease
The intensity, frequency, duration and HRQL between acute and chronic instances of the researched conditions

"I have been using VetMetrica for over 18 months now and have found it has revolutionised how I monitor patients and collect data. It is very easy to set up and the tools are intuitive and easy to follow

VetMetrica provides a great window into the animals’ quality of life and how it feels in its home environment. This has enabled me to better care for these patients and also collect good quality data for future publications. I cannot recommend VetMetrica enough. "

Andy Armitage, Greenside Vet Practice

Vetmetrica offers a valuable tool in assessing the impact of chronic pain on quality of life in dogs & cats. When treating chronic pain, most owners say that quality of life is paramount and they want their pet to be pain free. Vetmetrica engages owners and gives them the ability to measure quality of life.

"I found that a computer based scale run by Newmetrica... the same great people who gave us the Glasgow Pain Scales... is a wonderful way to get reliable quality of life scores.  You can find it here at http://www.newmetrica.com/vetmetrica-hrql/.  It generates a non-biased decision using a computer algorithum.  Answers are weighted differently so it is harder for the caregiver to subconsciously manipulate the outcome.  And they cannot go back and change their answers like they can on paper form"  Dr Mike Petty

“Firstly I want to congratulate you and your team on the important work you are doing in the field of pain assessment and in particular the NewMetrica HRQL tool which I think is a real game changer!” – Leon Warne.

“It goes without saying that within our dealings with the team at NewMetrica we found them to be consistently helpful and professional throughout”.