Proportionality and evidence-based pandemic management

A key ethical and human rights challenge of pandemic management is to effectively protect public health while restricting individual freedom as little as possible. The difficulty in meeting this challenge has been illustrated by the controversies surrounding key measures adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Integration of an advanced practice nurse into a primary care practice: a qualitative analysis of experiences with changes in general practitioner professional roles in a Swiss multiprofessional primary care practice

This article highlights the potential of working collaboratively with APNs, who play increasingly important roles in the primary care of polymorbid patients with complex needs.

Wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 shows high correlation with COVID-19 case numbers and allowed early detection of the first confirmed B.1.1.529 infection in Switzerland: results of an observational surveillance study

In this proof-of-concept study, wastewater-based epidemiology proved a reliable and sensitive surveillance approach, complementing routine clinical testing for mapping COVID-19 pandemic dynamics and observing newly circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Changes in mental and sexual health among MSM using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: longitudinal analysis of the SwissPrEPared cohort study

In this longitudinal analysis of a PrEP cohort enrolling MSM, depression scores worsened in the second wave and the second lockdown compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Hospital incidence and mortality of patients treated for abdominal aortic aneurysms in Switzerland – a secondary analysis of Swiss DRG statistics data

The hospital incidence rates for nonruptured and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms remained unchanged in the decade observed. Mortality rates in the elective setting were low and decreased in the last decade but remained high in patients treated for ruptured aneurysms.

Anaesthesia related complications – a single centre data analysis at a tertiary hospital in central Switzerland 

The authors investigated anaesthesia-related complications over a period of 17 years. The main aims were to assess the temporal trends of anaesthesia-related complications, their distribution among clinics and their relation to emergency versus non-emergency interventions.

Quality of chronic care for patients with type 2 diabetes in practices with and without a Clinical Specialized Medical Assistant (CSMA) – a cross-sectional study from Switzerland

This comparison of patient-reported outcomes and SGED criteria of patients with type 2 diabetes in practices with and without CSMAs showed an equally high quality of care and a low treatment burden.

Measuring workload of Swiss general practice: a five-yearly questionnaire-based survey on general practitioners’ self-reported working activities (2005–2020)

Over the last 15 years, a clear trend exists towards more women in the Swiss general practice, persisting over-ageing of GPs, replacement of single-handed practices by group practices, and increasing burden of administrative tasks, a risk factor for burnout and reduced job satisfaction.

Introducing innovative cellular therapies into the clinic: a 2-year retrospective experience of a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell programme at a single centre in Switzerland

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells are a powerful form of immune-cell therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma and acute B lymphoblastic leukaemia. Because of the complexity and costs of this treatment it is critical to review patient outcomes in real-world settings.

Critical care staffing ratio and outcome of COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care unit admission during the first pandemic wave: a retrospective analysis across Switzerland from the RISC-19-ICU observational cohort

The authors found no association of reduced availability of critical care staffing resources in Swiss ICUs with overall ICU length of stay nor mortality. Whether long-term outcome of critically ill patients with COVID-19 have been affected remains to be studied.