The Twenty Highest Priority Questions to Answer to Improve Access to Veterinary Care

Authors

  • Sharon Pailler Department of Strategy and Research, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, New York, NY, USA
  • Sloane M. Hawes Research and Development, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity, Baltimore, MD, USA
  • Kendall E. Houlihan Animal Welfare Division, Public Policy SBU, American Veterinary Medical Association, Schaumburg, IL, USA
  • Janet Hoy-Gerlach OneHealth People-Animal Wellness (OHPAWS), Bethel Park, PA, USA
  • Molly Sumridge Department of Strategy and Research, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, New York, NY, USA
  • Emily McCobb School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
  • Sheila Segurson Maddie’s Fund, Pleasanton, CA, USA
  • Margaret R. Slater Department of Strategy and Research, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, New York, NY, USA
  • Kiyomi M. Beach Vetbulance Community Care, Atlanta, GA, USA
  • Brittany Watson Shelter Medicine and Community Engagement, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
  • Apryl Steele Dumb Friends League, Denver, CO, USA
  • Veronica H. Accornero Department of Strategy and Research, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, New York, NY, USA
  • Jason B. Coe Veterinary Centers of America (VCA) Canada Chair in Relationship-Centered Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
  • Arnold Arluke Emeritus of Sociology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
  • Amanda Arrington Access to Care, Humane Society of the United States, Washington DC, USA
  • Lauren A. Bernstein College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
  • T’ Fisher University of Tennessee Program for Pet Health Equity, Knoxville, TN, USA
  • William K. Frahm-Gillies Access Veterinary Care, Minneapolis, MN, USA
  • Inga L. Fricke McKamey Animal Center, Chattanooga, TN, USA
  • Jennifer L. Scarlett San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SF SPCA), San Francisco, CA, USA
  • Douglas J. Spiker BluePearl Pet Hospital, Clearwater, FL, USA
  • Jim Tedford The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, Surprise, AZ, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56771/jsmcah.v4.106

Keywords:

priority setting, research agenda, access to veterinary care, animal welfare

Abstract

The veterinary and animal welfare fields are tasked to respond to the urgent need for improved access to veterinary care (AVC) for underserved populations across the nation. We conducted an initial survey and an iterative selection of priority questions using a modified Delphi method among a committee of experts in AVC to identify the 20 questions with the greatest potential to inform and advance our crucial work in AVC, if answered. The results of this project produced expansive questions focused on equity, engaging communities and pet owners, supporting practitioners, and delivering care. We then provided a landscape of existing research with the goal of supporting academics, practitioners, and communities in prioritizing their research and program development agendas, ultimately advancing AVC efforts around the country.

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Additional Files

Published

2025-03-04

Issue

Section

Original Research Article

How to Cite

The Twenty Highest Priority Questions to Answer to Improve Access to Veterinary Care. (2025). Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.56771/jsmcah.v4.106

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