In Switzerland, about 10% of patients experience an adverse event during medical treatment, and half of these events are considered preventable. In November 2019, the national report on quality and patient safety in the Swiss healthcare system, commissioned by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), was released. It provides for the first time a detailed assessment of health care quality and patient safety in Switzerland.
The report states that relatively little is known about the state of quality and safety of healthcare. In comparison to other European countries, there are few quality and safety indicators and both the internal quality management and interregional quality monitoring systems are limited. In 2011, the OECD stated that the current quality systems do not allow an adequate surveillance and assessment of healthcare quality. The report also highlights that the lack of drug safety is an urgent problem in Switzerland. There is almost no routine data collection on medicines, especially in outpatient care. In addition, there is no national strategy on drug safety, instead regulations vary widely between cantons.
Lack of reliable information
Overall, there is a lack of accessible and useable data and information to assess treatment standards and effectiveness of measures taken. The report recommends the development of quality and safety indicators applicable throughout Switzerland.
Improved education
The report contains a list of recommendations for all actors in the health system in regard to education on quality and safety. It recommends, among others increased training of health personnel, promotion of organisational culture for healthcare quality and the development of additional national quality programs. Also, increased involvement of patients and caretakers is recommended, criticizing that their opinions and experiences were not sufficiently recognized in the Swiss healthcare system.
Increased coordination
The revision of the Health Insurance Act (KVG) to strengthen quality and cost-efficiency, passed by parliament in June 2019, provides the federal government the legal basis and financial resources to strengthen quality and patient safety in the long term.
As of 2021, the associations of insurers and service providers will be obliged to conclude quality contracts valid throughout Switzerland. A federal quality commission will launch quality programs and define further national quality indicators. The Federal Council will define the strategic framework, including the definition of four-year objectives. These new provisions will come into force in 2021.