Health care professionals discuss the chronic patient care in Alicante

El Auditorium of the provincial Council of Alicante will host the IV National Congress of health care chronic patients between 8 and 10 March ( www.iv.congresocronicos.org )

-internists, family physicians, nurses, pharmacists and social workers between other specialists will participate in these days the slogan new teams, new powers, new alliances

– currently people with multiple chronic diseases are the leading cause of health spending, because that account for two-thirds of it

-the objective is the development of comprehensive plans for the care of the chronic patient to enable continuous improvement in the quality and efficiency of the national health system

Madrid, January 2012- healthcare professionals will gather in Alicante during the coming days 8, 9 and 10 March on the occasion of the IV National Congress of health care for the chronic patient. In these conferences, internists, family physicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical social workers and all those involved in the care the chronic patient will discuss new strategies, will exchange experiences and will try to establish patterns common to meet and give answer to the challenges posed by the chronicity. Under the motto, new equipment, new powers, new alliances ”, the meeting is organized by the Spanish society of internal medicine (SEMI) and the Spanish society of Medicine of family and community (semFYC), in collaboration with the Health Department of the Valencian Community.

In the words of Dr. Domingo Orozco, President of the Organising Committee of the Conference and Vice-President of semFYC, this meeting was an excellent opportunity to strengthen the commitment and involvement of health authorities, medical professionals and patients in chronic disease care ”.

Today, greater life expectancy, new treatments and diagnostic advances have as a consequence the rapid increase in the number of patients with multiple chronic diseases. Thus, it is estimated that by 2020, chronic diseases are the leading cause of disability. Before the change in the pattern of disease, so it is necessary to promote a reorganization of the current model of the national system of health to address and to respond to the challenges posed by chronic ”, says Dr. Pilar Román, President of the Scientific Committee and the SEMI 1st Vice-President.

Currently people with multiple chronic diseases are the main cause of health spending, as they represent two-thirds of it. A situation that requires the development of comprehensive plans for the care of the chronic patient to avoid that you consumed most of the resources of the national health system and promote their sustainability.

To discuss how to tackle this new challenge is designed a complete program with workshops and round tables where will address issues such as medication for patients with chronic diseases, self-management and accountability of patients, regional policies and strategies facing chronic or equipment and new profiles of professionals among others. Also will be presented positive experiences of various health care settings (hospital, primary care, social care, pharmacies) in the improvement of the Organization for the care of these patients.

Information and communication technologies will be another of the strong points of the meeting, since they have resulted in a major shift in the comprehensive care, continuous and quality of chronic patients.

Opening ceremony

The inaugural conference will focus on determinants of health ” and will be taught by Ildefonso Hernández Aguado, Professor of preventive medicine and health public of Universidad Miguel Hernández de Alicante.