Digitalization and artificial intelligence in healthcare: agreement between SEDIA and SEDISA

The State Secretariat for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (SEDIA) and the Spanish Society of Health Managers (SEDISA) have signed an agreement to promote digitalization and the introduction of artificial intelligence in the fields of healthcare management and assistance. The agreement was signed on September 14, 2026, in Madrid and is now published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) no. 238, of September 26, 2026, via the Resolution of September 18, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-19997). The stated objective is to improve the quality of the service offered to patients and facilitate better performance of the activities of healthcare professionals.

The agreement is published in compliance with article 48.8 of Law 40/2015, of October 1, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, and is administrative in nature. It is signed by the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, María González Veracruz, appointed by Royal Decree 984/2024, of September 24, and the president of SEDISA, José Francisco Soto Bonel, designated by the agreement of the Board of Directors on January 15, 2025. SEDISA is a non-profit society created under Organic Law 1/2002, of March 22, and SEDIA depends on the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, created by Royal Decree 829/2023, of November 20.

A common framework to evaluate AI in health

The agreement details the actions that both parties will develop jointly:

• Disseminate best practices in the implementation of AI in health with criteria of sustainability, ethics, and equity.
• Develop a common evaluation framework for healthcare AI projects —health outcomes, experience, efficiency, equity, sustainability, safety, and costs— through the SEDISA AI Observatory, with metrics for suitability, traceability, and data governance.
• Collaborate in the consolidation of the National Health Data Space, promoting semantic interoperability, the secure primary and secondary use of data, and standards for anonymization and pseudonymization.
• Promote the implementation of the European Health Data Space in Spain.
• Promote “responsible AI” criteria in care environments: bias management, transparency and explainability, cybersecurity, post-implementation monitoring, and clinical governance.
• Identify and prioritize high-impact pilot projects or demonstrators in the National Health System, favoring their evaluation, replicability, and scaling.
• Analyze training demands and provide training in digitalization, data, and AI for professional profiles within the NHS and for the general public.

Obligations of each party and economic regime

SEDIA commits to participating in the working groups of the SEDISA AI Observatory, facilitating public information regarding its policies and projects, collaborating in the definition of pilot projects, sharing best practices on European and national AI regulations, and designating contact persons. For its part, SEDISA will gather experiences that improve citizens’ access to their health data, act as a communication tool for health managers, participate in working groups as an expert voice in health management, and compile the needs of the sector.

The execution of the agreement does not involve reciprocal financial obligations: both parties will use their own resources.

Validity, monitoring, and data protection

The agreement will become effective once registered, within five business days, in the State Electronic Registry of Cooperation Bodies and Instruments, and will have a validity of four years, extendable for up to four more via an addendum. A Monitoring Commission is created with three representatives from each party—one of whom will chair and another will serve as secretary—which will meet at least twice a year and prepare an annual report. The text includes confidentiality duties and the data protection regime in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Organic Law 3/2018, of December 5.

The agreement arrives at a time when AI is breaking into the healthcare system and directly affecting two groups: the professionals who manage and provide care and the patients whose health data are used. The agreement sets out in writing criteria for evaluation, data governance, and transparency, and opens the door to pilot projects and specific training within the National Health System, although without associated budgetary commitments.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 238, of September 26, 2026, Sec. III. Other provisions, page 126363 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-19997).