Here’s a breakdown of the provided text, focusing on the key facts and structure:
Main Topic: The disconnect and lack of interaction between family doctors and vascular and interventional radiology (RVI) specialists in Spain, and proposed solutions.
Key Findings from the Survey:
Family Doctors’ knowledge: 76% of family doctors admit their knowledge of RVI is “poor.” Many don’t know what procedures RVI can perform. RVI Professionals’ Perception of communication: 88% of RVI professionals describe communication with family medicine as “poor” or “very poor.”
Reason for Poor Communication: Over 81.3% of RVI professionals cite the lack of knowledge about their specialty among family doctors as the primary cause.
Referral Habits:
About 90% of family doctors have never referred a patient to RVI.
However, three-quarters of them would make more referrals if they had more knowledge.
Nine out of ten family doctors believe RVI offers benefits to patients.
Administrative Obstacles: Family doctors also complain about administrative hurdles and the inability to directly refer patients to RVI units.
Causes of the disconnection (according to Rebeca Pintado, author of the survey):
Parallel Evolution without Union: The specialties have evolved separately with few points of connection.
Structural Disconnection: This has created a structural disconnect between healthcare levels.
Lack of Direct Channels: No established direct channels, shared clinical spaces, or common training areas exist between the specialties. Organizational Structure: This lack of organizational structure hinders fluid relationships and reinforces ignorance of RVI.
Proposed Solutions:
Education and Training:
Include RVI content in the MIR (residency) Family Medicine Program.
Incorporate RVI content into Continuing Training offers.
Collaboration Spaces:
Generate “real collaboration spaces” (joint clinical sessions, interdisciplinary workshops, shared training activities).
Dissemination of Protocols:
Develop and disseminate assistance circuits and shared clinical protocols that include RVI in diagnostic and therapeutic processes.
Benefits of Integration (“win-Win” Strategy):
For Family Doctors:
Access to a specialized resource that broadens therapeutic options.
Improved quality of care.
Optimization of resources.
Avoidance of unnecessary referrals.
For RVI Specialists:
true integration into the care process from early stages.
Better indication of their procedures.
Reinforcement of visibility and role within the healthcare system.
For Patients:
Faster and more efficient access to RVI procedures.
* Avoidance of unnecessary intermediate steps (e.g., seeing othre specialists first).
Overall Message: The article highlights a meaningful gap in knowledge and communication between family doctors and RVI specialists in Spain, leading to underutilization of RVI services.It argues that targeted educational initiatives, collaborative efforts, and clear protocols are crucial to bridge this gap, ultimately benefiting all stakeholders, especially patients.
