Variations of care and diagnosis as markers for the quality of medical care in Switzerland

How do we assess the quality of clinical care for our patients, institutions and an entire country? This is an essential question not only to ensure excellence in clinical medicine, but also to potentially provide means for benchmarking, as well as directing incentives for reimbursement towards an augmentation of value for the patient, rather than just volume.

Risk stratification in coronary artery disease: a patient-tailored approach over the ischaemic cascade

The diagnostic and prognostic yield of cardiac imaging techniques is high. Using a patient-tailored approach, most diagnostic and prognostic questions regarding stable coronary artery disease can be answered by noninvasive imaging techniques.

The value of volume substitution in patients with septic and haemorrhagic shock with respect to the microcirculation

This review article discusses commonly used resuscitation fluids, presents the scientific evidence related to volume resuscitation in septic and haemorrhagic shock and classifies the findings with respect to impact on the microcirculation.

A new era of gene editing for the treatment of human diseases

Significant advances in the field of gene editing have not only provided new tools for genetic surgery, but have also heralded a new era of medicine, with possibilities never imagined even half a century ago.

Vascular endothelial growth factor biology for regenerative angiogenesis

Therapeutic angiogenesis can lead to arteriogenesis and so restore tissue perfusion, but a more comprehensive understanding of the complex underlying biology is required to significantly improve the efficacy of such treatment strategies.

The impact of interventions by pharmacists collected in a computerised physician order entry context: a prospective observational study with a 10-year reassessment

Pharmacists participating in medical rounds and being part of the medical staff and the real time computerisation of interventions by pharmacists in the electronic health record has led to an improved acceptance rate compared to 10 years ago.

Assessment of voluntary HIV screening for asylum seekers in two Swiss cantons

Screening for HIV is fully justified from both ethical and public health perspectives and it is feasible for asylum seekers arriving in Swiss cantons. Health authorities should analyze ways to implement a sustainable voluntary HIV testing programme in this vulnerable population.

Diagnoses made in an Emergency Department in rural sub-Saharan Africa

Only few hospitals in low- and middle-income countries have an emergency department. Furthermore, these emergency departments often have a limited functionality.

The implementation and first insights of the French-speaking Swiss programme for monitoring self-harm

Self-harm is a major risk factor for suicide but remains poorly documented. No data on self-harm in French-speaking Switzerland exist. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health has therefore commissioned a specific self-harm monitoring programme.

Use of coronary computed tomography angiography in clinical practice – single centre experience in Switzerland in light of current recommendations based on pretest probability considerations

The results of this study suggest a very judicious use of coronary computed tomography angiography as a gatekeeper for invasive coronary angiography in current practice.