What does contextualised care mean?

After some interesting conversations with readers at last month's BVA Live, I have been reflecting on the concept of contextualised care in veterinary practice and how this impacts practice. The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into veterinary services for household pets is leading to scrutiny of treatments and veterinary practice in general. Contextualised care is seen as a way to help address some of the concerns raised by the investigation. Contextualised care is described by the BVA (2024) as ‘appropriate and proportionate care tailored to the needs of both the client and the animal’ and differs from the concept of ‘gold standard care’.

Contextualised care allows owners to work closely with veterinary professionals to get the best outcomes for their companions. What may be suitable for one animal with a particular condition may not be suitable for another. This may be seen as obvious – I know many veterinary professionals already work in this way – but the BVA guidance on this allows vets and veterinary nurses to feel confident when exploring treatment options with clients.