Access to quality veterinary care is essential for pet well-being, but language barriers create a significant obstacle for many pet owners. A recent dvm360 article, “Increasing veterinary access by mitigating language barriers,” explores this issue, highlighting the need for language accessibility in veterinary medicine.
The large Spanish-speaking population in the US, is a demographic vastly underserved by the current number of Spanish-speaking veterinary professionals. This disparity creates challenges for both pet owners and practices. Pet owners may struggle to communicate symptoms, understand diagnoses, or follow treatment plans, leading to potentially compromised care. Veterinary practices, in turn, may miss serving a large portion of the population and risk miscommunication and dissatisfaction.
Dr. Shadi’s recent artcile in dvm360 explores solutions like encouraging bilingualism in the profession, using translation services, and developing culturally sensitive communication. It also stresses increasing representation of Latino/Hispanic individuals in veterinary medicine. Addressing these issues is crucial for creating a more equitable system where all pet owners can access quality care.
Read the full article here to learn more about bridging this critical language gap >> https://www.dvm360.com/view/increasing-veterinary-access-by-mitigating-language-barriers
