From the best results of medical research to therapy involving the context of an individual patient

Contextualisation is the process of identifying specific factors of a patient’s life situation, which is focused on individualised care. In the light of reference books, contextualisation is an integral part of therapy with an active participation of the patient and/or his/her carers. Among many factors that constitute the functioning of a person, family and socio-material situation, access to professional health care, and the ability to exercise self-care are major contextual factors of the patient’s health situation. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the fact that the limiting oneself exclusively to algorithms as procedures based on the best evidence (best evidence medical research – BEMR) may raise the specific danger of underestimating the variability of individual responses of the human body under the influence of factors forming a personal context. The phenomenon of contextualisation in the treatment of an individual patient is still not adequately disseminated, although it is an important element in the decision-making process, with proven impact on the efficiency and quality of care and satisfaction of a patient.