Submitted text
The regulatory framework and also corresponding incentives must be adapted so that the Swiss healthcare system can be digitized as quickly as possible and thus develop into a networked healthcare data ecosystem. Switzerland now needs
- a common infrastructure, with which health data can be collected, processed, stored, shared and also deleted;
- Common technical, data protection and ethical Standardswhich regulate how this data is to be recorded and structured;
- Education, building trust and acceptance of such a Foundations;
- regulatory Framework and incentives;
- Education and training of professionals with strong digital skills;
- a sustainable Funding and investments in the digitization of healthcare.
Justification
Switzerland has Need to catch up in the digitization of the healthcare sector. This is confirmed by several sources (Bertelsmann Digital-Health Index, OECD-Technical and Operational Readiness Index, study on digitalization in health research by BAK Economics, WHO ranks Switzerland far behind in the use of electronic patient files). The Corona pandemic clearly demonstrated this to us. The Swiss healthcare system does not have a correspondingly modern infrastructure to collect, store and share data.
Switzerland is used to a high level of prosperity and relies on a strong life sciences location. Life sciences exports currently account for over 51 percent of Switzerland’s total exports. In the future, we will only be able to maintain this if Switzerland is also at the forefront of digitalization in the healthcare sector and continues to develop further. The data-based healthcare industry is a big change. The use of health-related data allows better treatment therapies, more targeted healthcare, but also more efficient research and development. Investments in business areas or companies active in the digital health sector are increasing worldwide. However, Switzerland is increasingly losing importance here and there is a shortage of specialists. Health data for research and development is used anonymously, encrypted or with consent in accordance with legal requirements. Despite these strict requirements, aggregated data is still not available in sufficient quantity.
The collection and structure of (clinical) data in the Swiss healthcare system is poorly regulated. Moreover, digital data processing is not yet widespread, especially in the outpatient sector and to some extent also in the long-term care sector. The financing system of the healthcare system also creates only limited incentives for cooperation between the individual service providers. As a result, the existing healthcare data is stored in individual systems that are fundamentally not linked to one another, and their structure, semantics and metadata are not uniformly regulated, and interoperability does not exist across the board. The lack of binding specifications for the data structure also poses a challenge for the implementation of the ePD.
The attractiveness of the life sciences industry – a driving force of the Swiss economy and its high reputation worldwide – will decline in international comparison if it does not succeed in rapidly advancing the digitization of healthcare. Switzerland stands to lose a lot if the challenges of the change that has begun are not mastered. The course must be set quickly.