Experts and Politicians of the Assembly of Madrid, at the Invitation of Adamed’s Spanish Branch, Debated the Role of Adherence to Medical Recommendations in Healthcare

In mid-October of this year, the third debate in the series “Adherence to Medical Recommendations as a Key Element of Successful Therapy” was held in Madrid. The event was organised by Adamed Laboratorios, Adamed’s branch in Spain, in cooperation with BioInnnova Consulting and the Assembly of Madrid. This is the third meeting of its kind this year, which has attracted key healthcare experts, doctors of various specialties, and politicians. Previous debates took place in Seville, the capital of Andalusia, and Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia.

The debate on the importance of adherence to medical recommendations as one of the key success factors in achieving positive treatment outcomes was attended by prominent healthcare experts and key politicians of the Assembly of Madrid. Among the participants was the Director General of Public Health of the Assembly of Madrid, Elena Andradas Aragonés, PhD, who presented the “Regional Screening Plan for Smoking-Related Diseases” launched by the region. The event was inaugurated by Diego Figuera, Vice-President of Health Committee of Assembly of Madrid, and Francisco Javier Domingo, Business Unit Manager for CNS, Adamed Laboratorios.

At the opening ceremony, Diego Figuera, Vice-President of Health Committee of Assembly of Madrid, emphasised:

“It is important to maintain an ongoing dialogue between the public and private sectors to develop solutions for strengthening the public healthcare system”.

Francisco Javier Domingo, Business Unit Manager for CNS, Adamed Laboratorios, noted:

“Adherence to medical recommendations is an essential component of disease treatment and affects the sustainability and efficiency of the entire healthcare system. The key to success is a combination of activities in which all stakeholders are involved”.

Challenges related to the stability of the healthcare system and adherence to medical recommendations

During panel discussions, medical experts discussed the problem of non-adherence to treatment recommendations. They agreed that its direct consequences include deterioration of health, relapses, further hospitalisations, and even deaths, which indirectly affects the health of the population and generates high costs for the healthcare system.

On the other hand, representatives of all parliamentary groups debated the challenges facing the healthcare system and how to improve its stability, which is the basis for economic and social development.

Health commitment

Adamed, through its branch office in Spain – Adamed Laboratorios – is continuing a series of debates on health, organising them in cooperation with the parliaments of the autonomous regions under the theme “Adherence to Medical Recommendations as the Key to Successful Therapy”. This is the third debate this year. Previously, the company held meetings in Seville and Santiago de Compostela, bringing together representatives from various parliamentary groups and health experts. This initiative is a continuation of the path Adamed has been following since last year, when a session on suicide was held in the Senate with mental health professionals and politicians. The company plans to continue creating a space to discuss health and key challenges of modern medicine.

The smoking problem

Another important topic of the debate was the “Regional Screening Plan for Smoking-Related Diseases” presented by Elena Andradas Aragonés, PhD, Director General of Public Health of the Assembly of Madrid. According to the World Health Organization, smoking is one of the biggest threats to public health and contributes to more than 8 million deaths annually worldwide[1]. In addition, it is directly linked to the occurrence of many diseases, including, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, as many as 20 different types of cancer. Smoking is also the leading cause of many lung cancer deaths and accounts for more than 50% of the causes of cardiovascular diseases. [2]

Mrs. Andradas presented the Cassandra Project, which aims to detect lung cancer early. The Assembly of Madrid developed this plan to prevent young people from starting to smoke tobacco and other nicotine products, to support individuals in quitting, and to help diagnose smoking-related diseases earlier.

In Spain, smoking causes about 150 deaths a day and is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, contributing to the second highest number of deaths from these diseases. [3]

[1] World Health Organization: “Tobacco”

[2] International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC): “World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention”.

[3] Fuente: Rey et al. Mortalidad atribuida al tabaco en las Comunidades Autónomas de España. Rev Esp Cardiol. 2022; 75; 150 - 158