Doctors' Order proposes five measures for new SNS

A Doctors' Order (OM) today presented five proposals to help build a new National Health Service (SNS), including the creation of an agency for artificial intelligence and health technologies.

The measures were presented by the OM bastonário, Carlos Cortes, at the “Rumo para a Saúde” meeting in Lisbon, where he said that “the country needs a health reform shock”, warning that “leaving everything in it would be irresponsible”.

Carlos Cortes argued that the agency for artificial intelligence and health technologies should define a technological strategy for the SNS, establish common integration standards, coordinate the evaluation of tools and monitor its adoption in the services, in conjunction with the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS), the Executive Board of the SNS and other competent entities.

According to Carlos Cortes, the structure should gather “clinical, scientific and technological knowledge, support the training of teams and publish results on safety, quality and access”.

The goal is that when a solution shows that it improves care, other services can safely adopt it throughout the country.

The bastonary pointed out that the construction of “a new technological SNS, with networked information and communication systems”, will allow that when a patient is discharged, the team who will follow him will receive the clinical information “in time to act”, can consult the tests performed, confirm the changes to the medication and know the scheduled care.

It also advocated the dissemination of telemedicine consultations, when “clinically appropriate”, and the use of artificial intelligence to support the reading of examinations, help organize clinical information and reduce administrative tasks.

It noted, however, that each application should be evaluated in the context in which it will be used, with data protection and medical supervision, considering that the clinical decision should remain the responsibility of the physician in dialogue with the patient.

Among the other proposals is the integration of Impact Assessment into Health in the preparation of public policies and projects with relevant health effects. This evaluation should incorporate the approach One Health, which relates to human health, animal health and ecosystems.

The president also defended the updating of the medical career since the beginning of specialized training, with recognition of the time of service, the skills demonstrated and the responsibilities assumed.

It also proposed a return programme for doctors living and working abroad, with recognition of the differentiation and experience gained outside the country.

Another measure is the early publication of the SNS vacancies map for new specialists: until the end of February, for the normal time of March, and until September, for the second season of the year.

Carlos Cortes argued that candidates should know the available places and working conditions before completing the specialty.

“ In April or May, many will have already made a decision about their future. The SNS has to arrive in time to make its proposal,” he said, arguing that “the vacancies that remain unfilled must remain open to applications until they are filled.”.

The proposals were presented on the day the OM published the study “Portrait of Health in Portugal in Post-Pandemia: Perceptions, access to care”.

According to the results, 29.9% of participants said that in the 12 months prior to the survey they had not received health care within a period that they considered reasonable due to the difficulties of marking or waiting lists.

In the same period, 6.7% of participants needed an appointment, examination or treatment they could not access due to the price or lack of coverage, while 4.4% stopped buying drugs prescribed for financial difficulties.

Carlos Cortes argued that the evaluation of the SNS should go beyond the accounting of consultations, exams and surgeries, allowing us to understand if the diagnoses arrive in time, if the treatments improve the health and autonomy of patients, if complications are avoided and inequalities in access are reduced.