Fifty healthcare professionals gathered on Thursday for the ‘IV BPSO Days of La Palma’ at the University Hospital of La Palma. The event facilitated the sharing of ideas and ongoing projects linked to the Best Practice Spotlight Organizations (BPSO) programme.
The opening ceremony featured Francisco Ferraz, manager of Health Services for the La Palma Health Area, alongside medical and nursing leaders from the hospital. The focus was on the importance of evidence-based care as a key driver for healthcare transformation.
Under the theme ‘La Palma Cares with Excellence’, the agenda included discussions on current best practice guidelines in the region, covering breastfeeding, pressure injury prevention and management, and vascular access. The event comprised several presentations and panel discussions where professionals shared their experiences implementing these guidelines.
This year, the La Palma Health Services Management was designated as a Centre Committed to Excellence in Care under the BPSO international programme for the years 2023-2025. This designation acknowledges their commitment to the adoption, evaluation, and maintenance of evidence-based best practice guidelines, as well as ongoing improvements in care quality, clinical safety, and health outcomes for the community.
Currently, three best practice guidelines are being implemented across various health services on the island, focusing on pressure injury prevention and management, breastfeeding, and vascular access. These guidelines have been gradually introduced in both primary and hospital care settings.
The event featured a session led by Montse González and Óscar Pérez from BPSO La Palma, who discussed project implementation. Isabel González, a nurse from the primary care breastfeeding consultation, presented actions related to the breastfeeding guideline. Additionally, Estefanía Hernández and Virginia Martín shared insights from their experiences in applying the vascular access guideline.
Discussions also covered pressure injury care management in both primary and hospital settings, including the experiences of health professionals in implementing these guidelines. A motivational panel concluded the section, where nurses from various hospital units presented their work on preventing pressure injuries.
The day ended with Marta Guillén, regional coordinator of BPSO, discussing the current status of the programme in La Palma. The commitment of local healthcare professionals to excellence in care was highlighted in the closing remarks.
The BPSO program, developed in partnership with the Health Care Research Unit and the Spanish Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, aims to achieve excellence in care by emphasising scientific knowledge and its impact on improving health outcomes, as well as the crucial role of nursing leadership.
The strategic implementation of evidence in care aligns with efforts to reduce clinical practice variability, enhance management of complex chronic patients, and strengthen primary care, all part of the sustained work by the Canary Islands Health Service (SCS) for safer and more people-centred healthcare.
The Canary Islands have become the first region in Spain to complete the full integration of their public healthcare system into the BPSO programme. The SCS continues to solidify its commitment by expanding the number of organisations involved in the BPSO initiative to eleven.
