Digitization of the healthcare system: Swiss population is ready for it
Results of the study published by digitalswitzerland, "The digital healthcare system as seen by the population," show that the Swiss population is willing to use a digital healthcare system, provided it offers clear added value - such as better user-friendliness, improved diagnoses and treatments, and lower healthcare costs.
Digitization has picked up speed in many industries. But the healthcare sector is lagging far behind. For the digital transformation of the healthcare system to succeed, the needs and fears of the Swiss population must be taken into account. Against this backdrop, digitalswitzerland 2022 launched Digital Health, a new initiative that aims to digitize the entire Swiss healthcare system and make it patient-centric. This should help to improve the transparency, accessibility and understanding of health information for the entire Swiss population. A survey has now been conducted to find out how the Swiss population rates the digitization of the healthcare system.
The higher the level of education, the higher the level of health and digital literacy
The survey results show that many Swiss citizens rate their health literacy (76%) and digital literacy (72%) as high to very high. Health literacy increases with age, while digital literacy decreases. The level of education also plays an important role: people with a higher level of education have higher health and digital literacy. "Health and digital literacy should already be addressed in compulsory schooling so that all citizens have the same opportunities to develop these important skills of today and tomorrow," concludes Jade Sternberg, Project Manager Digital Health, digitalswitzerland and lead author of the study.
Key factor for the digitization of the healthcare system: trust
Trust in the various healthcare organizations that play a role in the digitization of the healthcare system is particularly important. With regard to the handling of health data, 70% of respondents have a high to very high level of trust in healthcare providers including hospitals, followed by the government (47%), while the private sector (22%) enjoys the lowest level of trust. Trust in hospitals and primary care physicians accounts for their high ranking as the most important source of health information (54%). Medical personnel have been a central element of the health care system for centuries, but there are signs of a shift toward a system that is less focused on medical professionals and more on patients.
Patients take an increasingly active role
At the same time, the role of patients is also changing, as they are taking a more active role and more personal responsibility than in the past. Thus, 31% of the population no longer refer exclusively to people in need of treatment as patients. Everyone is a patient, whether healthy, sick or injured. This is also reflected in the increasing variety of preventive services offered by health insurers. Tomorrow's healthcare system should be patient-centered and empower patients to learn about their health and become more engaged with preventive measures. This with the aim of promoting a more active and healthier society.
"We are currently not exploiting the potential of preventive healthcare. Prevention will play a key role in the future - it is the only way to make the transition from a system focused on the sick and injured to one focused on keeping all citizens healthy for longer, explains Philomena Colatrella, CEO of CSS.
This is accompanied by the desire of patients to have more control over their own health data. 68% of the population want to be legal owners of their personal health data. The electronic patient dossier is a step in this direction, as patients themselves have control over who can access their data.
Data protection as a key for or against the digitization of the healthcare system
Digitization has many advantages, but also arouses fears among citizens. 46% of the population fear that their data will be misused or stolen. Data protection has recently become more of a focus, but will have to play an even more central role in the digitalization of the healthcare system in the future to ensure that appropriate systems and servers are used for storing and exchanging data and that data misuse, incorrect storage or data theft are avoided. "We need to bring together all relevant players and representatives of the Swiss healthcare system to enable a smooth and successful transition of the healthcare system into the digital world," says Jade Sternberg. Only together can this transition be successful with transparent communication and empowerment of patients.
Source: digitalswitzerland
45 percent of people in Switzerland reject digitization of their health data
People in Switzerland are skeptical about the digital collection and sharing of their health data. Almost one in two is not prepared to do so. This is the finding of the new Deloitte study "Digitization of health data: great opportunities, great skepticism". However, the lack of trust can be strengthened through education and transparency, as well as by demonstrating the potential benefits of digitized health data for people themselves as well as for the healthcare system as a whole. On the one hand, policymakers are now called upon to stimulate public debate about a uniform, adequately secured and monitored digitized healthcare system and to create the necessary conditions at the federal level for its sustainable and uniform implementation. On the other hand, providers of digital solutions, medical institutions and healthcare professionals must make greater efforts to gain the trust of patients and highlight the benefits of digitization. Among the most important advantages of systematic digitization is the potential for significant Increases in efficiency and effectivenessand in particular with regard to patient care as well as the increasingly complex processes that have been in place for a long time.
Source: Deloitte
