Ready for digitisation in healthcare

Both digitisation and professional expertise are key to securing the future success of the Swiss healthcare system. If these can be combined effectively, hospitals and other healthcare facilities will be able to operate in the best interests of the patients while sustaining profitable growth and taking care of the long-term health needs of the population.

In the face of its ageing population and rising care needs, there is a conflict in Switzerland’s healthcare system between highly competitive services, tight state regulation and acute staff shortages. At the same time, patients are demanding more customer centricity, greater freedom of choice and transparency.

Digitisation as a success factor

State-of-the-art digital communications, long standard in other sectors, have yet to see wide-scale adoption in the healthcare sector. This can make communications complex for hospital staff and others in the health service industry. The IT systems, which have often evolved over time, can be heterogeneous. Instead of end-to-end digital processes, paper-based processes may still prevail, entailing significant coordination and communication effort and wasting both time and money for everyone.

In addition to data and information security, cybersecurity and the requirements of the revised Federal Data Protection Act (revFADP) also present significant challenges. The existing IT landscape needs to be modernised and networked, which will require considerable investment. An important factor in successfully overcoming these challenges and turning them into opportunities is the choice of IT strategy. This is where Digital Health Consulting from Swisscom comes in.

Facts & Figures

The digitisation level of the Swiss healthcare system (Digital Health Index) currently stands at just under 41% (as of February 2023). Source: Statista Research Department, 2023

In terms of digital sustainability, Switzerland’s healthcare system ranks 15th out of the 63 assessed. Source: BAK Economics

Driving digital transformation

In our Digital Health Consulting, the following four areas of focus have emerged as particularly important.

Patient Journey

Data availability and accuracy. At every touch point throughout the patient journey, before, during and after a treatment or in-patient stay, the correct data must be available in the right place and at the right time.

Operational Excellence

Lean, digital processes. These are essential for efficient, automated processes and provide important data for management of the entire organisation. This optimises day-to-day business, treatment quality and patient safety while reducing the burden on nursing staff.

Integrated Care

Regulated data exchange, secure communication and the provision of information and services within an ecosystem that incorporates multiple service providers. This improves the use of resources, promotes innovative solutions and increases health service accessibility.

Operational Reliability

Health facility IT systems must continue to function at all times, even during critical events, to ensure that there is no or minimal impact on day-to-day operations.