@misc{df802733-c51e-44e1-b6d5-9c2ed68e77d1,
  abstract     = {{The working environment of veterinarians in Sweden has received increasing media attention, with reports highlighting inadequate working conditions and high levels of sick leave. Previous research has shown that mental health problems are relatively common among veterinarians, often linked to ethical conflicts. Some studies point to external economic and societal factors as underlying causes, particularly rising veterinary care costs. Since veterinarians are required to communicate treatment costs, economic values become an integral part of the clinical encounter. Increased specialisation within veterinary medicine, together with changing views of companion animals, has further contributed to animal healthcare resembling human healthcare. As a result, veterinary practice appears to be a field where boundaries between moral, emotional, and economic values are shifting, generating new expectations and dilemmas.<br/><br/>The aim of this study is to explore how veterinarians experience their work and working environment. The study is based on interviews with veterinarians primarily working in small-animal practice, representing varying levels of experience and employment conditions. The analysis examines how social reality is narrated and justified in order to identify how norms, ideals, and practices are maintained or transformed, and how boundaries between different spheres of value are negotiated. The preliminary findings show a delicate triadic relationship between veterinarian, patient (pet) and customer (pet owner). The study demonstrates how veterinarians balance ethical dilemmas related to care, financial constraints and increasing costs for animal care, and how they experience being caught between a feared mistrust from pet owners and increasing pressure from various levels of management at the clinic.}},
  author       = {{Andersson Cederholm, Erika and Espersson, Malin and Bergmasth, Mikael}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  title        = {{Caught Between Clients, Patients, and Costs? : Veterinarians’ Working Conditions in an Economised Animal Healthcare System}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}