Se observa la expansión de los hospitales del Día de la Diabetes en España para mejorar la asistencia del paciente.

The Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN) and the Spanish Diabetes Society (SED), in collaboration with other health associations, have proposed to expand the network of diabetes hospitals in Spain to improve care for these patients and reduce the healthcare costs associated with hospitalizations.

The document presented, with the collaboration of the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians (Semergen), the General Council of Official Medical Colleges in Spain (CGE), the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEG), the Spanish Diabetes Federation (FEDE), and stakeholders from across the territory.

Diabetes Day hospitals have the capacity to provide «comprehensive, accessible, and tailored» care for each patient’s situation and should be accompanied by an outpatient care device that allows for «immediate» access and two-way communication with emergency services, primary care, and hospital units.

«The importance of implementing these centers nationwide into a continuous twelve-program to provide rapid, personalized, and specialized care to individuals affected by diabetes with acute decompensations or the proposal presentation.

Despite their advantages, Bernabéu lamented that there are only 32 diabetes days integrated into hospital centers, focusing on some autonomous communities, while others have none, even though 77 percent of autonomous consultations have highlighted the importance of these centers.

For his part, the President of the Visado Foundation (FSEEN), Javier Clubba, explained that this is not an endocrinology service instrument but is dedicated to providing «fast, immediate, and efficient» actions for patients, offloading other types of services.

«It is surprising that they are not more widespread. The data, although scarce, suggest that we need to expand this network of hospitals. Admissions have decreased compared to the rest,» he added.

The coordinator of the observed diabetes area, Fernando Gómez Peralta, emphasized that these are «structures for diabetes patients» that can avoid spending nights in the hospital, improving the profitability of each user compared to other specialists, reducing physical displacements.

The head of the Endocrinology and Nutrition Service at the Virgen Macarena University Hospital (Seville) and the director of the Comprehensive Diabetes Plan in Andalusia, María Astincinez-Brocca, expressed that these centers must have access to multidisciplinary equipment led by endocrinology assistants or administration led by endocrinologists and medical assistants, supported by nurses, supported by technologies or administrations led by endocrinologists and nurses.

Martínez-Brocca, also coordinator of the SED Health Management Group, emphasized that these services should also offer therapeutic and educational interventions so that people with diabetes can cope with the various challenges they face, such as starting insulinization, stabilizing against a breakdown, as a hospital or hospital.

«The total number of professionals involved in a Diabetes Day hospital should allow continuity in the morning and afterward, as well as the ability to respond to the area’s request to which it is a reference, so the number of professionals must be adapted to that volume,» he added.

In this regard, CGE member Elvira Pertega emphasized the need for specialized medical care focused on diabetes care and attention, where the body is already working with the Ministry of Health.

The President of the Spanish Diabetes Federation (FEDE), Antonio Lavado, added that it would be important to have podiatrists, nutritionists, and psychologists, in addition to providing exercise programs, to work as a comprehensive diabetes unit.

«The benefits for the patient would be extraordinary. We believe it is a leap to improve the patient (…) It is important to provide therapeutic education in diabetes, which would reduce costs in the system and improve the quality of their lives. This is the ideal place for patient training,» he added.

Family physician at the San Blas Health Center in Parla (Madrid) and Coordinator of the Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism Working Group at Semergen, Dr. Ezequiel Arranz, stated that primary care would also benefit from these centers, allowing for «direct communication» with endocrinology services and thus contributing to addressing issues related to the establishment and management of pharmacological treatment.

Similarly, this communication will allow the possibility of treating acute complications that do not involve a vital risk, favoring the continuity of care and improving coordination at different levels, thus helping to relieve pressure in primary care.

Member Dr. Francisco Pomares emphasized the importance of being able to convey «this value proposition» and «convince» hospital managers to expand the diabetes network.

«Unfortunately, when it does not have a very surprising impact, we have difficulties finding arguments. Here we have to look for them in health indicators. Fewer complications, lower admissions, fewer amputations…,» he said.

He also recalled that people treated in these centers show more attention to care and are happier with the results.

In this regard, Sedisa representative Patricia Alonso said that «they should not be convinced,» after which she asked them to make them possible and shared the rest of the experts’ views on the benefits of Diabetes Day.

Despite this fact, she emphasized that it is not a «simple» task because it is necessary to find the infrastructure, the necessary physical spaces, to improve information systems, and face the lack of professionals in the National Health System (NHS).

FUENTE