Various specialists participating in the IV Forum 'Technology, Health and Society', held in Madrid and promoted by the Fenin Technology and Health Chair, have underlined "the need to develop official professional certification programs" in robotic surgery, as well as "accreditation of robotic units".
Among the main demands put forward at this meeting, driven by the Spanish Federation of Health Technology Companies (Fenin), its Foundation, and the Ortega-Marañón Foundation, emphasis has been placed on "standardizing procedures and promoting training programs that involve not only the technology provider, but also other agents, such as hospitals themselves, scientific societies, universities, administrations, etc.".
These proposals have been formulated by the heads of the General and Digestive Surgery Services of the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital in Badalona, Dr. José M. Balibrea; of Thoracic Surgery of the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid, Dr. Nicolás Moreno; of Urology of the Quirónsalud Madrid University Hospital, Dr. Víctor Díez Nicolás; of Traumatology and Orthopedic Surgery of the Valladolid University Clinical Hospital, Dr. David Noriega; and of Gynecology of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Berta Díaz-Feijoo.
All of them are signatories of a report promoted by the Fenin Chair that "analyzes the clinical impact, efficiency, and value generation of robotic surgery for patients and the National Health System (SNS)", as indicated by the organization, which recalls that robotic surgery "has consolidated itself as a relevant technological innovation" in the healthcare field.
The Chair emphasizes that this technology "has a growing degree of implementation in operating rooms and in multiple specialties due to its better results for the patient", although, despite being "a consolidated and expanding technology", "variability in its access and use is observed, with implications for the equity, quality, and efficiency of healthcare provision to patients".
Potential of robotic surgery and organizational challenges
The president of the Fenin Foundation, Professor Fernando Bandrés, has argued that robotic surgery "represents a technology with the potential to improve certain clinical and organizational outcomes, especially in contexts of greater complexity." However, he has warned that "its value is not uniform or inherent to the technology, but rather depends on its integration into adequate care models."
"With this forum, we want to promote a present and future approach to robotic surgery based on value, which prioritizes the evaluation, organization, and sustainability of organizations," he remarked. For her part, the general director of the Ortega-Marañón Foundation, Lucía Sala, has highlighted that "the Fenin Technology and Health Chair is an exceptional instrument for driving innovation" and doing so "from the perspective of patients and healthcare professionals."
In her opinion, robotic surgery "will improve the lives of many people." "Therefore, we must pay special attention to it from knowledge centers," she stated. Next, the coordinator of the Fenin Robotics group, Miriam Toca, focused on the report, which indicates that "the available evidence shows that robotic surgery can reduce surgical aggression and blood loss compared to open surgery, promote faster patient recovery in certain procedures, as well as maintain or improve clinical outcomes in scenarios of high technical complexity."
As she specified, the impact of this modality "depends largely on the clinical indication, the experience of the team using it, and the organization of the care process." Furthermore, she pointed out that "regarding its implementation in the SNS, its incorporation implies relevant organizational changes in care models, such as the establishment of coordinated care structures, the adaptation of surgical block processes, the development of new professional competencies, and the systematic measurement of results."
Finally, the managing directors of the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid, Carlos Mingo, and the Clinical University Hospital of Valladolid, José Antonio Arranz, have reiterated their commitment to "the incorporation of value-based innovation" and to integrate it "within consolidated care and organizational processes". "All this with the aim of using robotic surgery efficiently, safely, and equitably," they concluded.