Insurance coverage policies for reconstructive lymphatic microsurgery procedures in Switzerland

Insurance companies in Switzerland do not have a uniform policy regarding cost coverage for lymphatic surgery procedures. Moreover, the decision process appeared to be rather uniform within the respective insurance company and independent of the individual case. Standardised evaluation criteria including patient reported outcome measures should be developed to underscore the beneficial effects of lymphatic surgery and facilitate insurance coverage.

Patient interest in mHealth as part of cardiac rehabilitation in Switzerland

The use of mobile technology for health interventions (mHealth) seems to improve participation and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation; however, the implementation of mHealth in cardiac rehabilitation  is still in the early phase

Losing your virginity safely? A Swiss national survey

Contraception is generally used at first intercourse in Switzerland. Improvements can still be made concerning contraception use in the most vulnerable social strata such as low income families or foreign status.

Implementation of a telemedicine geriatric co-evaluation in the emergency department: a prospective pilot study

Complex drug management is a common challenge in the treatment of geriatric patients. Pandemic scenarios, such as the current one (COVID-19), call for a reduction of face-to-face meetings, especially for elderly patients. The aim of the present study was to compare the innovative concept of applying telemedical assessment to geriatric patients in the emergency department (ED) with ED standard treatment. A special focus was the use of potentially inadequate drugs for geriatric patients according to the “Fit for the Aged” (FORTA) classification.

Dynamic modelling to identify mitigation strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic

Relevant pandemic-spread scenario simulations can provide guiding principles for containment and mitigation policies. The authors devised a compartmental model to predict the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies with a main focus on mass testing. The model suggests that testing strategies can be equally effective as social distancing, though at much lower economic costs.

Autochthonous hepatitis E as a cause of acute-on-chronic liver failure and death: histopathology can be misleading but transaminases may provide a clue

Acute decompensation and death have been observed in patients with acute hepatitis E virus infection and preexisting liver cirrhosis. However, the clinical, laboratory and histological features need to be fully characterised.