Improving Outcomes for Clients With Financial Limitations Using a Spectrum-of-Care Approach

Kate Boatright, VMD

Dr. Kate Boatright has been in small animal practice since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013. After nearly 8 years of full time practice in both general practice and emergency clinics, she moved to part-time clinical work to pursue her passion for educating veterinary professionals as a speaker and author. Dr. Boatright's passions are spectrum of care and mentorship. She has presented nationwide at conferences and webinars on these topics. In addition to numerous trade publications on both topics, she is the author of journal articles and textbook chapters related to spectrum of care and mentorship, which will be published throughout 2025 and 2026. She is the author of the Veterinary Mentorship Manual, a resource for practices to help guide them in developing solid mentorship programs to support new graduates. Boatright believes deeply in the role of organized veterinary medicine and holds leadership positions in the AVMA and the Pennsylvania VMA. In her remaining time, she stays busy chasing her toddler, running, reading, and watching movies with her husband and cat.

Overview:

Cases limited by client finances are a daily occurrence for many small animal practitioners. As pets are considered part of the family by their owners, conversations between pet owners and the veterinary team can become emotionally charged, especially when finances are limited and decisions about care become life or death. These cases and the discussions that go with them can create moral distress and contribute to burnout for many veterinarians. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

In the real world of clinical practice, the gold standard care that has historically been the focus of veterinary education is not feasible for all clients. This poses a particular challenge for veterinarians who are just entering clinical practice. All veterinarians must develop comfort in approaching cases incrementally and learn strategies to work along a spectrum of care to help the greatest number of clients and patients. Early career veterinarians in particular must develop the confidence to offer a variety of options based on available evidence-based medicine, client limitations, and the health and welfare of each patient.

Once comfort is gained in the clinical approach to cases along the spectrum of care, veterinarians must be able to communicate available options to owners with confidence and empathy. Developing a comfort with discussing finances in a compassionate way is essential to forging a partnership with the client and improving patient outcomes.

This lecture will explore the concept of spectrum of care in the context of client financial limitations and provide tools that can be used in financial conversations to maximize patient outcomes in clinical practice. Mastering these skills can improve early career wellbeing by minimizing situations of moral distress and incremental care.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the role that client finances play in patient care and how cases of limited finances can contribute to moral distress for veterinarians.
Understand how a spectrum of care approach can improve patient outcomes and minimize situations of moral distress using case examples.
Develop communication skills to maximize success when discussing finances with clients, especially in situations of limited finances.

This course is RACE-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits hours in jurisdictions that accept RACE-approval.