The Spanish society of Rheumatology, University of Madrid and Abbott European inaugurated the II edition of the Máster Universitario in Spondylarthritis.

-the spondylarthritis, affecting more than 550,000 patients in Spain, represent around 15% of consultations in rheumatology services

Madrid, 2011-October the Spanish Rheumatology society (be) and the Universidad Europea de Madridsponsored by Abbott, have opened the master in Spondylarthritis, a specific training programme to promote quality research in this group of diseases. The objective of this initiative, pioneer in Spain, is to offer a training for excellence in this field, in the hands of the best experts in this field the rheumatologists ”, points out Dr. Eduardo Collantes, Co-Director of the master.

The spondylarthritis are a group of inflammatory rheumatic diseases particularly affecting the joints of the locomotor apparatus, which can cause destruction articulate and have a great impact on the working and social environment of patients. According to data of the being, these diseases affect more than 550,000 patients in Spain and represent 15% of consultations that are received in the Rheumatology services.

For Dr. Eugenio de Miguel, director of the master in the spondylarthritis early diagnosis and monitoring of the patient are keys to reducing the impact of pathology on the patient. For this reason, we believe it is important that experts, once they complete their specialization, have a specific training programme on spondylarthritis, which will result in an improvement in clinical practice and, therefore, in the patient care ”.

The master in Spondylarthritis, which celebrates its second edition, will run throughout the academic year 2011-2012 and will feature a faculty consisting of leading specialists in spondylarthritis, contributed by the SER and the Group’s work in Spondylarthritis (GRESER). The be organized also in disease-specific research groups. In this regard, the Group GRESER, consisting of rheumatologists involved in the investigation of this group of diseases, are mainly involved in the management, coordination and teaching and training in the investigation that takes place in the masters.

For the DRA. Elena Gazapo, Dean of Biomedical Sciences of the Universidad Europea de Madrid, the commitment of the University is to offer a training for excellence in all fields. Thanks to the scientific support of GRESER and SER, can we ensure that our students receive their training in the hands of a faculty that includes the most prestigious experts in the field of the spondylarthritis ”.

The master, sponsored by the biomedical company Abbott, taught in a way online, through the platform of the Universidad Europea de Madrid, with the exception of the sessions of opening, defense of the project and part of the Practicum.

The Universidad Europea de Madrid belongs to the Laureate International Universities network, leader in higher education, with more than 360,000 students in more than 55 institutions and 28 countries. It currently has seven faculties and schools, four centres for postgraduate and professional European Centre of Madrid, where formative cycles of higher degree, which hosted more than 14,000 students in total are given.

True to its innovative vocation, promotes research applied and useful to society and supports its activities around three fundamental values that led him to lead the construction of the European area of higher education in our country: internationality, connection to the professional world and commitment to academic quality of the 21st century.

It is the first University in the world that has received quality Qualicert certification and the first Spanish University to achieve ISO 14001 by its campus of Villaviciosa de Odón and La Moraleja. He has also received other recognitions such as the EFQM 400 + to its management system and specifically the management of the library service system. He has received in addition Prize Madrid excellent 2010, an annual award given each year by the community of Madrid in recognition of the quality and excellence of companies that guide their management to the customer and get his confidence.

The Spanish Rheumatology society (be) has as its mission work and interact actively and positively with all actors of interest in the field of the Rheumatology. To this end, among other activities, promotes the study of rheumatic diseases – diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue-, develops work, studies and research projects in rheumatology and serves the specialty-related problems. It also provides support to the patients of rheumatic diseases through his relationship with associations comprising mainly to patients. In the area of teaching, the be carries out a wide range of courses on all areas of the Rheumatology and held two monographic symposia and a Congress every year. Today, SER represents nearly 1,500 professionals in Spain and maintains contact with regional societies of Rheumatology of the entire country.