Do companies in the Healthcare Technology sector have an innovative DNA? Yes, without a doubt. This ability to continuously advance poses a challenge for Spain’s National Health System (SNS). To address this challenge, the Spanish Federation of Healthcare Technology Companies, Fenin, has introduced various solutions to facilitate rapid access to the latest technological innovations for patients and healthcare professionals.
“Technology and medical products play a decisive role in patient care. Our industry offers new solutions for patients’ clinical needs and the healthcare system’s challenges. It is essential to ensure access to these technologies so healthcare professionals can improve diagnoses and treatments. It’s impossible to build a future-focused healthcare system using outdated technology,” explained Pablo Crespo, Fenin’s Secretary-General, during a seminar.
To promote the adoption of “high-quality” healthcare technology within the SNS, Fenin proposes several measures. These include implementing public procurement models based on value to maintain care quality, restructuring care processes to enhance system efficiency, and fostering a culture of investment planning to prevent technological obsolescence in hospitals and health centers.
Quality, not just price, should be the determining factor in public healthcare technology procurement contracts. “Fenin works with health administrations to establish new procurement models where at least 50% of award criteria are linked to the value provided by the product or service. Only quality technology ensures precise diagnoses and safer treatments, ultimately improving health outcomes and SNS efficiency,” added Fenin’s Secretary-General.
“Fenin proposes harnessing the full potential of quality healthcare technologies and ensuring equitable access for healthcare professionals and patients.”
Indexation of Public Contracts and Medical Products
Regarding public contracts and medical products included in pharmaceutical services, Fenin suggests that these contracts be indexed—allowing for price adjustments throughout their duration based on prevailing conditions—to ensure Spain remains competitive in providing patients with the best healthcare technology. Thus, Fenin proposes indexing to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as previously allowed under the Public Sector Contracts Law until 2015.
Also tied to innovation within the SNS, the seminar addressed the renewal of the technology infrastructure in national hospitals. Despite the recent success of the INVEAT Plan—which facilitated the replacement and expansion of nearly 850 high-tech devices nationwide—Spain still shows “worrying levels of obsolescence in certain technology segments that did not benefit from the INVEAT Plan, exceeding the maximum recommended ‘useful’ life threshold (between 10 and 12 years) set by international organizations,” Fenin emphasized.
In this regard, Fenin calls for a national investment strategy to meet the so-called “Golden Rules” or “60-30-10” guidelines: 60% of equipment should be less than five years old, 30% between five and ten years, and no more than 10% over ten years old (considered obsolete). The ultimate goal should be zero obsolescence.
Legislative Changes
Some of these initiatives require legislative changes. For example, reforming the Law on Guarantees and Rational Use of Medicines and Medical Products is necessary. This legislation—despite its name—is currently structured with the pharmaceutical sector in mind, rather than the Healthcare Technology sector.
“It has been 18 years since the catalog of medical products has been updated, and technological innovation in medical products dispensed with a prescription in pharmacies has been limited. This results in Spanish patients receiving products that are already discontinued in many European countries. It’s encouraging that the Ministry of Health is considering this legislative reform, but it must result in a regulation distinct from that governing medicines, given the technical and intrinsic differences in our sector,” concluded Pablo Crespo.
