For government players
 

Strategically consolidating and specialising hospital structures:

Healthcare should be optimised by putting a strong focus on specialised, efficient hospitals so that labour market bottlenecks can be reduced without lowering treatment safety and eliminating services. Small general hospitals that are regularly under-utilised should be converted into specialised centres of excellence or integrated into regional health networks.
 

Expanding health networks and strengthening cooperation:

An expansion of regional health networks, consisting of family doctors, mobile care services and other service providers, canrelieve hospitals. They offer low-threshold access to health services and should be more closely involved in hospital planning so that their role as the first point of contact is further strengthened. Clearly-defined rules regarding referrals to other service providers and cooperation with hospitals ensure seamless care for patients along the entire treatment chain.

Supra-cantonal hospital planning:

Efficient healthcare requires closer cooperation between the cantons and supra-regional hospital planning. This will consider the needs of the population and at the same time avoid over-supply. Resources should be used where they make the most sense.
 

Avoiding false incentives and promoting innovative care models:
 

The principle of “outpatient before inpatient” can only be pursued consistently if charges for outpatient treatment are made more attractive and financial incentives in favour of inpatient treatment are reduced. Charging models should be designed in such a way that, after weighing up the medical benefits, the more cost-effective outpatient option can also be chosen without economic disadvantage / financial loss. In addition, charging should be designed in such a way that innovative models such as Hospital at Home will become economically viable and can be implemented nationwide.

For healthcare facilities and companies in the healthcare sector
 

Expansion of health centres close to home:

By increasing the creation and expansion of health centres close to home, with family doctors, specialists and therapists, patients can consult quickly and receive help with their ailments. Health centres take on a gatekeeper function through early detection and screening and offering initial consultations. Larger health centres should also be equipped to treat minor emergencies themselves.
 

Shared use of administrative and logistical processes:

By bundling non-medical processes – from purchasing to IT to human resources – fixed costs can be reduced and synergies exploited. This would – improve the efficiency of healthcare and free up medical professionals from administrative tasks.
 

Strengthening cooperation and coordination:

Medical practices, pharmacies, health centres and hospitals should agree joint processes with clearly defined tasks to make cooperation efficient and guarantee patient-oriented treatment..

For government players
 

Increasing trust in data sharing:
 

Clear and easy-to-comprehend data protection regulations and regular awareness campaigns help strengthen the public’s trust in digital health solutions. Patients must be able at all times to understand what data is being collected, how it is protected and who has access to it, and for what purpose it may be used.
 

Enabling interoperability:

In addition to creating a health data room, a uniform strategy is needed to facilitate the interoperability of different IT systems in the healthcare sector. This is the only way to avoid any additional effort involved in data collection and exchange and to realise efficiency gains.
 

Introducing a uniform health data room:

To drive digitisation forward and facilitate collaboration, a Swiss health data room is required. In this data room, data will be anonymised, and uniform rules guarantee that the data is structured, standardised, and easily accessed and analysed for those entitled to access it.
 

Expanding telemedicine in a targeted manner, and support specialists:

In order for telemedicine to develop its full potential, the necessary infrastructure should be expanded nationwide and access to digital health solutions, such as e-prescriptions, should be facilitated. In addition, new professional fields such as tele-nurses or specialised telemedicine coordinators can help to integrate telemedicine more effectively into regular healthcare.

For companies within and outside the healthcare sector
 

Strengthening trust and highlighting advantages:
 

Companies that process health data must make it absolutely clear that they comply with information security and data protection standards. They should implement protective measures, such as encryption and access management, and restrict the use of personal data to predefined purposes. This will help increase trust in digital applications. Healthcare providers who already enjoy a high level of trust can act as “digitisation ambassadors” and show patients the opportunities offered by digital applications.

Active promotion of the electronic patient record:

As far as possible, all healthcare providers should integrate the electronic patient record into their internal systems and encourage patients to use it to improve medical care and communication.

Patient care through digital monitoring solutions::

Healthcare providers should increasingly offer programmes such as “Hospital at Home” and use digital monitoring tools to provide patients with flexible and up-to-date methods of care. This can also strengthen trust in decentralised, patient-oriented care.

Supporting professionals with digital applications:

Investing in digital infrastructure and training staff can encourage the use of telemedicine, digital health platforms and AI-powered decision support. Digital scheduling and automated triage processes, for example, can shorten waiting times and reduce the administrative workload for skilled workers.

Digital coordination and collaboration:

Healthcare providers should network with each other to a greater extent and use shared digital platforms to increase care efficiency and exchange information. In doing so, they should always communicate openly with patients and support them in data collection.

For government players
 

Establishing longevity as an integral part of healthcare:
 

Prevention and longevity should not be treated as separate measures, but as an integral part of healthcare. This requires a holistic approach to treatment, from prevention to care, with a clear allocation of tasks within the health system, so that prevention, early detection and health promotion are given equal priority.

Promoting public-private partnerships to finance innovation in healthcare:
 

Collaboration between the state and the private sector can speed up the development and financing of innovative solutions. This will accelerate the adoption of new technologies and promote efficient healthcare.
 

Early detection instead of symptom treatment:

If age-related diseases such as dementia are diagnosed in time, treatment often shows better results. It therefore makes sense to expand screening programmes for groups at risk. In addition to research focusing on other age-related diseases, the creation of innovation clusters for technologies such as AI-powered diagnostics can also help promote health in old age and increase the number of years that people enjoy good health.

For companies within and outside the healthcare sector

Expansion of personalised offers in the field of longevity:

Modern diagnostics and big data analysis can be used to create individual prevention plans that are tailored to personal health risks.

Expand workplace health promotion:
 

Companies can contribute actively to prevention through targeted physical and mental health programmes. This includes measures such as exercise programmes, ergonomic workstations, healthy eating at the workplace, and stress management workshops.

Encouraging healthy behaviour with digital applications:

Health apps can promote preventive behaviour by motivating users to lead an active lifestyle and by pointing out possible health risks at an early stage. To make better use of their potential, developers should work closely with healthcare providers. Strong networks would make it possible to integrate health data more effectively into care and thus support individual, personalised treatments.