The Research Methodology Training Programme (IFEMI), an initiative promoted by the Regional Ministry of Health, Presidency and Emergencies of the Regional Government of Andalusia and designed and delivered by the Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública (EASP), held the IFEMI 2026 Conference at the Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS). The event brought together more than 110 professionals from the Andalusian Public Health System (SSPA) with a research profile, from both primary care and hospital care settings.

The conference, conceived as a space for reflection and exchange around this training programme, is aimed at SSPA professionals who are engaged in or wish to engage in research activities in the clinical or public health fields. It provides an opportunity to analyse the evolution of the training pathway, share results and lessons learned, and highlight its impact on the health research ecosystem in Andalusia. Throughout the programme, both the foundations of IFEMI and specific examples of research projects developed by professionals who have completed the programme are addressed.

The Secretary General for Research, Innovation and Digital Health at the Regional Ministry of Health, Presidency and Emergencies, Áurea Morillo, emphasised that “research is a strategic pillar for improving quality of care and health outcomes”. She added that “the Ministry is committed to flexible, accessible training adapted to the reality of our professionals”.

The Chief Executive Officer of Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Nieves Romero, who also spoke at the opening session, noted that “it has long been demonstrated that healthcare institutions engaged in research achieve significantly better clinical outcomes, in indicators as critical as reductions in morbidity and mortality. However, conducting research requires solid training in research methodology. For this reason, IFEMI is absolutely strategic for our hospital and for the Andalusian Public Health System, and I would like to thank the organisers of this conference for choosing our campus to continue promoting top-level research”.

Finally, the Director of the Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Rafael Fernández Chacón, stated that “the research training of leaders and healthcare professionals is essential to generate high-quality knowledge that strengthens the international projection and competitiveness of our health system and translates into real improvements in patient care. In this regard, the commitment of initiatives such as IFEMI is key to promoting rigorous, high-quality research within the public health system”.

(From left to right): Belén Jiménez Ojeda (Head of the Research Promotion Area at the Fundación Progreso y Salud), José Cañón Campos (Managing Director of FISEVI and IBiS), Áurea Morillo García (Secretary General for Research, Innovation and Digital Health at the Regional Ministry of Health, Presidency and Emergencies), Nieves Romero Rodríguez (Chief Executive Officer of Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío), Rafael Fernández Chacón (Director of IBiS), and Ángel Chimenea Toscano (Coordinator of the Andalusian Health Research and Innovation Strategy) | Photograph provided by the Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública (EASP).

A strategic programme for research within the SSPA

Since its launch in 2020, the Research Methodology Training Programme (IFEMI) reflects a sustained commitment to strengthening the research capacities of healthcare professionals as the foundation for excellent, useful research aligned with the needs of the public health system.

The EASP has made a significant effort to provide the programme with a flexible and versatile structure, adapted to the needs and specific characteristics of research in both primary care and hospital care. This approach makes it possible to address diverse healthcare contexts and professional profiles with varying levels of research experience, while respecting the realities in which knowledge is generated within the public health system.

Flexible, practice-oriented online training

The IFEMI training programme is delivered entirely online and combines structured training modules with synchronous practical workshops that complement and reinforce the content. The overall aim of the programme is to provide training in research methodology tools, enabling participants to acquire the skills and competencies required to develop a research project at all stages—from conception and design to implementation, analysis and interpretation of results, and scientific dissemination—in both primary and hospital care settings.

The sixth edition of IFEMI, involving 60 professionals, will run until September 2026. In total, 330 professionals have completed the programme, and 622 have undertaken one or more of its component courses. A total of 131 centres within the Andalusian Public Health System have benefited from this programme, which has become a benchmark in research methodology training within the public healthcare sector.

The IFEMI 2026 Conference thus reinforces the institutional commitment to health research and to the professional development of those who make it possible, contributing to greater presence and visibility of research conducted in Andalusia within the national and international scientific landscape.

The event concluded by reaffirming IFEMI’s role as a key tool for promoting rigorous, high-quality research aligned with the present and future needs of the Andalusian Public Health System.