The 45th Congress of the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians (SEMERGEN) took place from October 18 to 21 at the Valencia Conference Center. The event was organized to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the society and brought together family and community medicine specialist doctors from both veteran practitioners to new residents.
The opening ceremony of the congress on October 18 featured a speech from Dr. José Polo, the President of SEMERGEN. In his address, Dr. Polo emphasized the importance of strengthening and supporting primary care in the National Health System. He highlighted that primary care is the first point of contact with patients and plays a crucial role in providing comprehensive care, disease prevention, and health promotion. Without strong and well-resourced primary care, the entire health system suffers, and quality patient-centered care cannot be delivered. Dr. Polo called on those responsible for health management to recognize the family doctor’s central role in healthcare.
SEMERGEN currently brings together 13,000 family doctors from across Spain, and the society’s commitment to training and research was reinforced during the congress. On the second day, SEMERGEN presented four new clinical documents prepared by different working groups within the society. These documents provide evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis, management, and treatment of various areas of competence for general and family doctors. The clinical documents focus on topics such as benign prostate obstruction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiorenal and metabolic disease, and depression.
The congress also unveiled the “READY TO RESEARCH” program, which aims to strengthen the training objectives of residents in family medicine and update them on research developments. The program was presented during a meeting with the Network of Resident Researchers (RIRES), an initiative created by SEMERGEN to promote research among resident doctors. The program offers essential tools for developing research projects and provides mentoring for residents until the completion of their research work. The final results will be presented at the National Congress of SEMERGEN in 2024.
SEMERGEN has a strong culture of research and currently has 650 researchers working on more than 20 ongoing projects, with over 21,000 patients recruited. Since 2016, the society has led 58 studies with a total of 38,871 patients. The congress featured various research-focused sessions, discussing the progress of ongoing projects such as the Study of Identification of the Spanish Population of Cardiovascular and Renal Risk (IBERICAN) and addressing legal aspects and professional responsibility related to research.
Overall, the 45th SEMERGEN Congress was a platform for showcasing the society’s commitment to primary care, training, and research. The event served as an opportunity for healthcare professionals to exchange knowledge, discuss advancements, and reinforce the importance of primary care in the healthcare system.