On June 3rd, 2025, the XVII Conference on Patient Safety in Primary Care took place in Madrid, at the teaching pavilion of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos. The theme chosen for this occasion, "Longitudinality, a Key Factor for Patient Safety", aimed to highlight the threats currently facing longitudinality and what can be done to counter them.

The conference, co-organized by the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC), the Spanish Society of Health Quality (SECA), the Federation of Community and Primary Care Nursing Associations (FAECAP), the Spanish Society of Primary Care Pharmacists (SEFAP), the Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics (AEPap), the Spanish Society of Extrahospital and Primary Care Pediatrics (SEPEAP), and the Ministry of Health, saw a notable attendance of professionals and the largest number of presentations since its first edition in 2008. 

The inaugural table, moderated by Esther Nieto, president of FAECAP, included the presence of María Fernández, Deputy General Director of Quality of the General Directorate of Public Health and Health Equity, Ministry of Health; César Gómez, Managing Director of Clínico San Carlos Hospital; Inmaculada Mediavilla, president of SECA; Mª Carmen Sánchez, Secretary General of SEPEAP; and Edurne Ciriza, pediatrician in primary care and coordinator of the research working group of AEPAP. After thanking all attendees for their presence, Esther Nieto briefly explained the contents of the day and began giving the floor to the members of the panel, who highlighted the importance of longitudinality and teamwork in primary care.

Next, Teresa Martín Melgarejo, journalist and president of the Association of Health Users of the Region of Murcia, moderated the debate panel where there was consensus on the value of longitudinality for safety and quality of care, but differing opinions and perspectives on how to enhance the benefits of longitudinal care were clearly evident. The members of this panel were Javier Padilla, family doctor and Secretary of State for Health; María Isabel Baena, public health pharmacist of the Andalusian Health Service and former deputy counsellor of the Ministry of Health of Andalusia; and Laura Iglesias, doctor and specialist nurse in family and community care. The debate focused on the structural barriers that threaten longitudinality, especially those related to human resources policy and decisions made by health managers, the insufficient funding of primary care, the lack of awareness among the public regarding the benefits of longitudinality in primary care, and the drift towards an overly episodic approach to care. Topics such as the cultural shift and changing priorities of young professionals and the lack of a precise and recognized definition of the term "longitudinality," which to date is not included in the Spanish language dictionary or any medical terminology dictionary, were addressed.  Teamwork, the stability of the professionals that make up the primary care team, the information and health education of the population, and the promotion of non-fragmented care were also significant factors in this debate.

 As in previous years, the main objectives of this event are to provide a space where professionals can discuss and share experiences related to patient safety, as well as to promote and encourage the participation and commitment of primary care professionals to quality and safety. 

Link to the debate panel recording:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yfAUi9SeGw&t=2330s  

For this reason, year after year, the core part of the event is dedicated to the presentation of oral communications by professionals. This time, a total of 152 communications were received, and 120 were accepted: 73 teaching cases, 25 experience for improvement, 11 original studies, and 11 research projects. The volume of communications presented and the number of professionals attending from different autonomous communities reflect the interest and commitment of primary care teams to the continuous improvement of healthcare quality, and particularly to patient safety.

Miguel Melguizo, a retired family doctor with a long and intense career of over 35 years in the same health centre in Granada, delivered the closing lecture. Through some of his professional experiences, he highlighted the protective effects of longitudinality on patient health, as well as on the professionals themselves, stating that "the time spent with the patient is meaningless if a bond is not created with them, with a comprehensive and versatile vision of the care provided." 

Link to the closing lecture recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i45JgMz86lM&t=126s 

José Ángel Maderuelo, co-chair of the scientific committee alongside Elvira Eva Moreno, presented the scientific summary of the event. María José Calvo, Deputy Director General of Pharmacy of the Health Department of the Community of Madrid, and Alberto Pardo, Deputy Director General of Care Quality of the same department, were responsible for closing the event, but not before presenting the "Fernando Palacio Awards" to the three best communications:
• Best long communication: "Clinical review of medication in people living in social-health residences in our basic health area" presented by Inés Sebastián Sánchez, Health Center Universitas, Zaragoza III Sector, Aragón Health Service. 

• Best short communication: "Sex and hypertension" presented by Inés Moreno Unzurunzaga, Monóvar Health Center, Madrid Health Service. 

• Best teaching case (presented by training professionals): "Arthritis secondary to tirzepatide" presented by Esperanza Martín Correa, CAP Passeig Maragall, EAP Congress, Catalan Health Institute. 

After the closing session, and in the afternoon, four workshops were held:

• Workshop 1. The Primary Care Pharmacist as part of the team for the safe use of medication and longitudinality in healthcare. 

• Workshop 2. Artificial intelligence tools in primary care: precision, efficiency, and safety. 

• Workshop 3. Adolescent safety in the transition from paediatric care to family medicine and nursing. 

• Workshop 4. Longitudinality, where do you stand?