07 Jun. 2010
Universidad Europea de Madrid, the Sociedad Española de Reumatología [the Spanish Society for Rheumatology] and Abbott set up a Master’s Degree in Spondyloarthritis
Universidad Europea de Madrid
Rheumatology embraces more than 250 different diseases, which means that the specialists have to be trained in very diverse areas in order to be able to treat their patients in the best possible way.
One of these, and one which is in fact very common in the population, is spondyloarthritis, a family of inflammatory rheumatic diseases of the musculoskeletal system which can be accompanied by lumbar pain and spinal rigidity. Today 1.9% of the Spanish population – more than half a million people – suffers from some type of spondyloarthritis, which results in the need for relatively frequent consultation.
These pathologies, whose common characteristic is chronic inflammatory pain which makes the patient wake up in the middle of the night – this can be reduced by exercising - and which, furthermore, is accompanied by great rigidity, are extremely incapacitating and may even lead to disability if not detected at an early stage and then treated correctly.
Guaranteeing quality research in this field, which allows for progress to be made in treatment and early diagnosis, is of paramount importance so that the rheumatologists, having completed their specialization as Resident Medical Interns, can receive specific training in this field, as this will eventually be of benefit to the improvement in clinical practice. In this context, Universidad Europea de Madrid, the Sociedad Española de Reumatología (SER) [the Spanish Society for Rheumatology] and Abbott have taken a pioneering step and one of enormous significance by creating a Master’s Degree in Spondyloarthritis. In this way a strategic alliance has been established between the three principal agents who are most directly involved in the theoretical and practical training of rheumatologists.
The Master’s Degree in Spondyloarthritis, which will be available for the next academic term, will be taught at Universidad Europea de Madrid and will enjoy the scientific support of the SER, who will contribute to the faculty and will in addition be responsible for the development of some of the modules. The main objective of this new degree program is to offer rheumatologists and future healthcare professionals a first-rate training given by the best experts in this field.
Juan Pérez-Miranda, Dean of the School of Biomedical Sciences at Universidad Europea de Madrid, sees this agreement in a very positive light and emphasizes that “Universidad Europea de Madrid in general, and more specifically, its Schools of Health and Biomedical Sciences, enjoy the collaboration of the different professional sectors as part of their degree programs, always with the objective that our degree holders receive the training that the job market and society demands”. In turn, Juan Pérez-Miranda adds that “in order to guarantee optimum training, Universidad Europea de Madrid offers the best faculty and a personalized teaching method which supports the student at all times throughout their learning process, not only training the best professional, but also training them to be an able citizen, committed to the challenges of the 21st Century”.
15% of the visits are made to Rheumatology Services “Spondyloarthritis makes up around 15% of the visits that we receive at the Rheumatology Services in our respective hospitals”, notes Dr. Rosario García de Vicuña, Honorary President of the SER. “On one hand this shows the significance that this type of disease has in our society and, on the other, highlights the need to have specialists available who possess first-rate academic training and practical experience, so that we can provide our patients with the highest quality care”.
Apart from this high social-healthcare burden, spondyloarthritis also represents a considerable economic implication. According to studies, the average cost of ankylosing spondylitis alone – only one of the many diseases that are part of the family of spondyloarthritis – has been estimated at almost 8,000 € per patient per year in Spain, a figure which could rise - in cases of poor evolution or severity of the disease - to 75,000 € per patient per year.
“As a scientific society that creates awareness, it is appropriate that we promote strategic alliances of this type so that our specialist can benefit from the best possible training, which will result in better care for the patients. In addition, this Master’s Degree is taught by the leading specialists in the country, which always provides the best guarantee”, Dr. García de Vicuña went on to explain. ”Training has always been our goal, both for future professionals and for those who are actually in practice today”.
"The signing of this agreement confirms the commitment shown by Abbott to training professionals in chronic diseases with a high clinical, social and emotional impact. The collaboration between the pharmaceutical industry, the private university and a scientific society such as the Sociedad Española de Reumatologia in order to develop a Master’s Degree in Spondyloarthritis goes beyond the in-depth examination of the scientific knowledge of these diseases, as it also helps to provide better healthcare to the patients who are suffering from them”, pointed out Esteban Plata, CEO of Abbott.