The Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau), a health research institute (IIS) accredited by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), continues its commitment to primary care research with the incorporation of the Dreta de l’Eixample Primary Care Team (EAP). This is a new member of the consortium, in addition to the EAP Sardenya, which has been part of IR Sant Pau since its foundation. Together, the two institutions provide healthcare coverage for a population of 74,207 people. This addition strengthens research lines in epidemiology, public health, and primary care, reinforcing the institute’s commitment to improving population health through biomedical research and innovation of excellence applied to clinical practice.
According to Dr. Lluís Cuixart, Head of Research at EAP Dreta de l’Eixample, «this integration represents an opportunity for our institution to continue generating scientific knowledge from primary care and to contribute to public health research. We must not forget that primary care is often the gateway to the healthcare system, giving us a broader view of the population’s needs».
For Dr. Jordi Surrallés, Scientific Director of IR Sant Pau, «the incorporation of EAP Dreta de l’Eixample allows us to expand the scope of research in primary care, a key area for improving population health. It also enhances our capacity to develop clinical trials with a more integrated vision of healthcare».
EAP Dreta de l’Eixample, located in Barcelona’s Eixample district, has a multidisciplinary team that includes 31 physicians, 24 nurses, and more than 50 professionals from other healthcare disciplines. The team has already participated in national and international research projects such as the IBERICAN, APPRESO, APHOSDIAB-COVID, and DIAMOND studies. It has been one of the primary care centers with the highest number of communications at the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC) National Congress of Family Medicine recently.
The center’s main research lines focus on cardiovascular diseases but also include studies on the most common conditions treated in primary care, such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)/asthma, psychiatric disorders, and interventions aimed at improving pharmacological prescribing. The contribution of EAP Dreta de l’Eixample will strengthen IR Sant Pau’s primary care research lines, fostering new synergies and collaborations.
The collaboration will improve knowledge transfer between primary care and hospital services, enabling more efficient implementation of scientific advances into daily clinical practice. It is also expected to facilitate access for EAP Dreta de l’Eixample professionals to new training and collaboration opportunities with established research groups at IR Sant Pau.
This agreement comes at a time when primary care is gaining increasing prominence in the field of biomedical research. With this incorporation, IR Sant Pau consolidates its role as a leading institution in health research, promoting high-quality care based on scientific evidence.
