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.

Clinical outcomes in high-risk patients with a severe aortic stenosis: a seven-year follow-up analysis

For patients deemed to be at high surgical risk, transcatheter aortic valve replacement has been proven to be the preferred therapeutic option in aortic stenosis.

Health-related quality of life and stress-related post-transplant trajectories of lung transplant recipients: a three-year follow-up of the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study

Lung transplantation provides a viable option for the survival of end-stage lung diseases. Besides survival as a clinical outcome measure, health-related quality of life and psychological distress have become important study outcomes.

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.

Medical-ethical guidelines: Assessment of capacity in medical practice

The present guidelines thus offer guidance for medical practice. They define the principles to be observed in the assessment of capacity and describe the procedure to be adopted, both in general and in particular areas of medical practice.