Question Title

* 1. INFORMED CONSENT FORM

Purpose of the Study:
This is a study that is being conducted by veterinary student Kathryn Duda, and Dr. James Lowe at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. The purpose of this study is to describe management practices used after a PRRS outbreak in US breeding herds for both control and elimination strategies, as well as understand diagnostic testing strategies in US breeding herds that are used to classify herd status and how this influences herd management procedures.

What will be done:
You will be asked to voluntarily complete an online survey, which will take about 20-30 minutes to complete. The surveys include questions about:
Demographics of your practice and herds that you service.
Goals of management practices and herd size influence on recommendations for management of PRRS infection
Different management recommendations of PRRS in different phases of the production system
Herd compliance with different recommendations and practices

After data is collected and analyzed, you may be contacted to participate in a follow-up focus on specific herd production data. Your participation in releasing of herd production data would be greatly appreciated and can be indicated at end of survey outbreak sections.

Benefits of this Study:
The ultimate objective of this study is to measure how recommendations compare to professional norms and common practices as well as assess effectiveness of practices in improving production following PRRS introduction into a herd. By participating in this study you will be contributing to this process.

Risks or discomforts:
No risks or discomforts are anticipated from taking part in this study. If you feel uncomfortable with a question, you can skip that question or withdraw from the study altogether. If you decide to quit at any time before you have finished the questionnaire, your answers will NOT be recorded. Participation is voluntary with no negative repercussions for non-participants.

Confidentiality:
Your responses will be kept completely confidential. We will ask you to include your name and contact information when you complete the surveys so that we can connect your survey answers to your individual management practices and producer herd data. Only the researchers will see your individual survey responses. The list of survey responses of our participants will be stored electronically in a password protected folder; a hard copy will be stored in a locked filing cabinet. After we have finished the project we will destroy the list of participants’ e-mail addresses. We will use the information from this survey for professional presentations and publications, however we will NOT include any names or identifying features particular to you unless permission is granted.

Decision to quit at any time:
Your participation is voluntary; you are free to withdraw your participation from this study at any time. If you do not want to continue, you can simply leave this website. If you do not click on the "submit" button at the end of the survey, your answers and participation will not be recorded. You also may choose to skip any questions that you do not wish to answer.

How the findings will be used:
The results from the project will be used to measure how recommendations compare to professional norms and common practices, as well as effectiveness. Additionally, this material may be presented in an educational settings and at professional conferences, and the results may be published in a professional journal.

Contact information:
If you have concerns or questions about this study, please contact Dr. James Lowe at jlowe@illinois.edu or 217-300-6398

If you have any questions about your rights as a participant in this study or any concerns or complaints, please contact the University of Illinois Institutional Review Board at irb@illinois.edu or 2

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