1. EQK Patient Organisations
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EQK Patient Organisations

The project examines the needs and requirements of patient organisations with regard to strengthening the involvement of patients, their families and the society in the Swiss health care system.

Factsheet

Situation

Internationally, the systematic involvement of patients, their families and the society in health care is being increasingly promoted. The aim is to provide more person-centred healthcare and improve the quality of care. According to the American Academy of Medical Science, patient-centred healthcare is defined as "care that respects and protects the preferences, needs and values of each individual patient”. In addition, all clinical decisions should be guided by the patient's values whenever possible. Although a number of convincing concepts already exist, the integration of the patient's perspective seems o be complex and challenging. With this mandate, the Swiss Federal Quality Commission (EQC) wishes to clarify the needs and requirements of patient organisations with regard to strengthening the involvement of patients, their families and society. Patient organisations represent the interests of individuals with health problems by advocating their concerns in the public and political context. However, cooperation between patient organisations and health care providers (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.) is not yet systematically organised, and patient organisations would like to be able to represent the interests of their clients more effectively in the future.

Course of action

In this project, representants of several patient organisations will be consulted to clarify the need for action to strengthen the involvement of patients, their families and the society in the Swiss healthcare system. With the support of the two partners (SUPSI and HE-Arc), a total of three "dialogue days" will be held in Bern, Neuchâtel and Manno-Lugano, and the results will be summarised in a report with recommendations for the Federal Quality Commission (EQC). This report will serve as a basis for the launch of a national quality development program, promoting participatory medicine and the systematic involvement of patients, their families and the society in the planning and design of healthcare services.

Result

The final results can be found in the report: Involvement of Patients, Relatives and the Population: Clarification of the Need for Action to Promote Quality in Healthcare from the Perspective of Patient Organisations, which is available on the EQK website (https://backend.bag.admin.ch/fileservice/sdweb-docs-prod-bagadminch-files/files/2025/06/16/29d6ea96-167f-4111-a208-170611ab8c91.pdf).

Looking ahead

The final report emphasises the benefits of developing a national strategy, including an action plan, to promote the systematic involvement of patients, their relatives, and the general public in the healthcare system (PPI). The strategy aims to provide a roadmap for the integration of PPI into the healthcare system. It places particular emphasis on a participatory approach that explicitly calls for the involvement of patient experts. Based on these recommendations, the EQK published a new call for proposals in June 2025, inviting submissions for the development of an action plan to promote the systematic involvement of patients, relatives, and the general public in the Swiss healthcare system.

Contact

Dr. Caroline Gurtner-Zürcher

  • Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin
  • +41 31 848 66 98
  • Show e-mail

This project contributes to the following SDGs

  • 3: Good health and well-being
  • 10: Reduced inequalities

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