The president of SEMI also addressed the possible creation of new specialties, such as the specialty of Infectious Diseases
March 17, 2022. 12:27 pm
The Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI) has participated in the Commission on Health and Consumer Affairs of the Senate. In said Commission, the president of the SEMI, Jesús Díez Manglano, has highlighted the role of Internal Medicine. Specifically, as a general, transversal specialty with a global vision of the patient.
However, it has played a key role during the pandemic. Nonetheless, it has treated 80 percent of hospitalized non-critical COVID-19 patients. All this in addition to its important work in the care of non-COVID-19 patients who are complex, chronic, multi-pathological or with systemic pathologies.
“It seems clear that if we want to change the health system and adapt it to the current reality, we must promote those professional figures that are more versatile. That is to say, those that have a global vision of the patient, as is the case of the specialist in Internal Medicine”, claimed the president of the SEMI.
New specialties and the role of Internal Medicine
On the other hand, the president of SEMI also addressed the possibility of creating new specialties, such as Infectious. “This would mean greater fragmentation and atomization of the SNS that would be detrimental to the necessary global vision and comprehensive approach to the patient.” Even more so in a context of increasing population aging, chronicity, multiple pathologies and burden of comorbidity.
“That fragmentation and atomization makes little sense. As we see in our day-to-day consultations, we are moving towards a patient profile that increasingly requires a global, holistic and integrative approach, in collaboration with the rest of the specialties and levels of care”, remarked the president of SEMI.
Finally, regarding the future role of Internal Medicine, Díez Manglano also mentioned the problem posed by the lack of generational change in the specialty. “We have vacant places that are not filled in hospitals, because there are no professionals to cover them, and we have to rethink this and address it with guarantees.”
