The future of training and research programs promoted by scientific societies

The primary aims of the Spanish Society of Hypertension lie in the areas of training (continuing medical education), research and public education. Scientific societies play an essential role in postgraduate training. Constant efforts must be made to identify learning goals and design appropriate strategies to achieve these goals with the incorporation of the so-called new information technologies. Another teaching aim is that of accreditation, certification, and recertification. This aim should be a priority in all medical scientific societies. In research, the key national strategy of science and technology policies in Spain establishes the bases of a framework of a greater cooperation between the general (State) and the regional administration levels by fomenting research in the national health system and health research institutes, whose basic nucleus are the teaching hospitals. Unfortunately, scientific societies do not constitute a specific target in this strategy, and this fault should be reevaluated. Health problems representing the greatest burden of disease should be particularly focused in national research programs, being cardiovascular disease one of the areas to be prioritized. Research in this specific field, as in other areas of disease or knowledge, should promote cooperative networks to optimize results and facilitate communication between basic and clinical research. These two goals should be accepted and actively pursued by our society. Lastly, it should not be forgotten that one of the aims of scientific societies is public education and that a series of actions could facilitate this essential flow of information. © 2010 Sociedad Española de Hipertension-Liga Española para la Lucha de la Hipertensión Arterial (SEH-LELHA).