As every pet owner and pet lover knows—and a growing body of evidence supports—pets play a crucial role in enhancing people’s mental health and wellbeing, offering companionship, reducing stress, promoting social interaction, and encouraging physical activity.
Ensuring access to veterinary care not only helps keep pets healthy, it also strengthens the mutual benefits shared between people and their pets. That’s why veterinary services need to be inclusive and responsive to the diverse needs of pet owners in all communities. Despite ongoing efforts, pet owners face challenges accessing veterinary care, and the profession continues to grapple with a chronic shortage of veterinary staff and other barriers to providing a spectrum of high-quality veterinary services.
To that end, researchers at Mars Veterinary Health collaborated with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University to review more than 50 previous studies on the emerging field of access to veterinary care (A2VC). Working collaboratively, we sought to better define A2VC, uncover barriers, and identify actionable solutions to overcome those challenges. We started by mapping those factors to five dimensions of access to care that mirror those used in human healthcare: affordability, availability, accessibility, accommodation, and acceptability. Our resulting research was published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.
“Previous studies have identified the extent of the problem and defined the nature of the problem, such as geographic location, yet information has historically been limited regarding the consequences, risk factors, and actionable solutions related to A2VC,” said JoAnn Morrison, DVM, MS, DACVIM, Director of Global Veterinary Science and Health Outcomes at Mars Veterinary Health. “This study pinpoints the significant opportunity for the veterinary sector to better define what access means and agree on a framework that provides greater consistency that enables us to collaborate on truly effective interventions.”
This new research shows that, as a veterinary profession, we need to align on a clear and consistent way to define and measure A2VC. A shared framework can help ensure research efforts build on one another, maximize impact, and address the most critical issues effectively. Future studies should aim to identify the barriers that prevent pet owners from accessing veterinary care and categorize them into modifiable and non-modifiable factors. By doing so, we can enable more strategic and effective A2VC interventions.
“This review demonstrated that the emerging field of A2VC is challenged with inconsistencies in defining the problem and a lack of consensus on the issues as well as the solutions that are required to remove barriers,” said Annette O’Connor, BVSc, MVSc, DVSc, FANZCVSc, and professor at Michigan State University. “We look forward to creating future opportunities to collaborate and contribute in meaningful ways to advance access to care.”
Our global connected care network has long been dedicated to advancing access in service of our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. This study builds on this commitment and various initiatives and offerings like wellness plans that help make the cost of care more predictable and affordable through bundled preventive care services and discounted prices on additional products and services. In collaboration with Shelters United, we also introduced a free veterinarian of record training program to the profession that expands access to care for shelter pets.
We, along with our Associates and charitable arms[1]—Banfield Foundation, VCA Charities, and BluePearl Cares—also give back to the communities in which we live and work. Each year, hundreds of free and low-cost veterinary clinics—including thousands of hours from Associates and nonprofit partners—support pets in need across underserved areas, and veterinary deserts. Collectively, our charitable arms have granted more than $31.5 million to date to help ensure vulnerable pets receive access to necessary care, food, and resources.
A special thanks to those who collaborated on this important research and our dedicated Mars Veterinary Health clinician scientists around the world who continue making meaningful contributions to the field of veterinary medicine and data-informed research to advance science and improve access to care for pets that need it most.
To explore additional peer-reviewed studies and learn more about how we are advancing veterinary medicine through investments in science, research, and medical quality initiatives, visit marsveterinary.com/veterinary-science.
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[1] Banfield Foundation, BluePearl Cares, and VCA Charities are all 501c3 public charities, funded through the donations of individual donors as well as Banfield Pet Hospital, BluePearl Pet Hospital, and VCA Animal Hospital Associates, clients, and each respective business.
