Up to 40% of primary care practices have no clear benefits for patients.

PalmThe Health Service (IB-Salut) has launched the Àuria Project, an initiative aimed at reducing low-value medical practices—approximately 20-40% of interventions performed in Primary Care—and focusing attention on treatments and procedures that offer better health outcomes and greater safety. Low-value practices are tests, treatments, or medical interventions of dubious utility because their effectiveness has not been proven, they may cause adverse effects, or they have an unfavorable cost-benefit ratio. According to Txema Coll Benejam, project coordinator, "collaboration between professionals and patients is key to reversing these unnecessary practices."

The campaign is developed under the slogan "Give value to health" and is co-funded by the Ministry of Health through the Primary Care Strategy. According to the Regional Minister of Health, Manuela Garcia, the objective is "to evaluate which tests and treatments we routinely perform do not provide value according to scientific evidence and, therefore, are not necessary. We want to ensure that patients receive treatments based on the best available evidence, improving the quality of care and safety." The project, which will be implemented progressively over the coming years, affects more than 1,600 professionals in Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Nursing, and Primary Care Pharmacy and impacts, according to 2024 data, almost 1.2 million patients and, indirectly, society in general.

A common problem

Studies indicate that out of every 10 interventions in Primary Care, between 6 and 8 are of high value, while the rest may be unnecessary or excessive, affecting patients' health and consuming healthcare resources. In the Balearic Islands, the problem is significant. According to the survey "Perception of Low-Value Practices in Primary Care," conducted between March and April 2025, 63% of the 311 participating professionals consider these practices to be a common and significant problem.

The most frequently cited practices include: the overuse of medications, such as antibiotics for viral infections or intramuscular medication when oral medication is sufficient, and the overuse of diagnostic tests, such as lab tests without clear indications and imaging tests without alarm criteria. Proposals to improve professional practice and healthcare organization include improving coordination between levels of care, avoiding therapeutic inertia, and reducing delays. Professionals point to the "culture of immediacy," the medicalization of life, and an overreliance on testing as the main obstacles.

The project is based on a gradual process that includes:

1. Identification and prioritization of low-value practices.
2. Raising awareness and training professionals and citizens in a high-value culture.
3. Measurement and dissemination of results to ensure the sustainability of improvements.