Understanding regulatory, structural, and relational barriers to offering accessible veterinary care: Results from a...

Organizations across private and not-for-profit sectors are increasingly seeking and mobilizing tools to increase accessibility of veterinary care. There is limited understanding of the barriers faced by Canadian organizations, especially from the perspectives of providers themselves.

This research sought to illustrate barriers to delivering accessible veterinary care faced by Canadian veterinary providers, using qualitative data from focus groups and interviews.

A total of 18 individuals participated in 3 focus groups and 4 interviews. Transcripts were qualitatively analyzed, using NVivo 14 software (Lumivero), by 2 independent coders employing a combination of emergent and a priori coding.

Three codes and 17 subcodes, including structural (e.g., restrictive organizational policies, lack of funding), regulatory (e.g., additional requirements or approvals), and relational (e.g., challenges with continuity of care) barriers, were identified by participants.

Barriers experienced by participants were interrelated and paralleled those reported by American animal welfare organizations and Canadian human healthcare and social service sectors. Mitigation of these barriers requires multilevel and coordinated changes and could be addressed through resource sharing and collaboration with human healthcare and social service sectors. Understanding structural/regulatory barriers from service providers' perspectives offers a foundation for dialogue and action to mitigate these barriers.