The information recorded by veterinary practitioners about patients is extremely useful for understanding the diseases affecting patients. The Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) has an established methodology for collecting data and making it ready for research which requires owners to opt out of participation if they do not wish for their animal's data to be included. This approach works because owners visit a veterinary practice where they can find out about SAVSNET before the consultation begins.
However, farm animals are rarely transported to a veterinary practice. It is much more usual for the veterinary practitioner to visit the location where the patient is kept. Therefore FAVSNET will draw on the methods we have developed in our Equine Veterinary Surveillance Network (EVSNET) to allow for the collection of data related to visited animals including a simple clinical syndrome-level coding system which mirrors the coding used by APHA.
Benchmarking and clinical data research provides a tangible benefit to UK veterinary practice. In recognition of this, the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme awards points to practices that contribute clinical data to FAVSNET.