*3.1. Sample*

The potential for FSC planning regarding ACFs was investigated in five VGR cities with a population ranging from 40,000 to over 600,000 inhabitants [23]. The cities were chosen because they all have essential healthcare infrastructure. Due to limited previous research in this field, a pilot study was planned with an approximate sample size of 99 facilities (around 20 facilities in each city) to receive questionnaires and supplementary informant interviews to a point of saturation [22,24]. Sampling was performed mainly using online search engines with map services to identify facilities of interest in each city. Each facility of interest/potential ACF, defined as veterinary and dental clinics, schools, sports clubs, and hotels, was checked for suitability by using information from the actors' websites and by Google Street View© to assess the location, accessibility, size, and proximity to hospitals. The final sample was relatively well distributed across the ACF categories in the investigated cities.
