Assessment of adverse events associated with inpatient acute care in Switzerland
Context
The Federal Commission for Quality (FCQ) has mandated Unisanté to lead the SafeCare Switzerland study, following a project call in 2024. This mandate is based on Article 58c of the Federal Health Insurance Act (LAMal) and the Federal Strategy 2025–2028 for advancing healthcare quality.
A novelty in Switzerland. The study examines how often adverse events occur in Swiss hospitals and clinics – that is, health problems caused by medical treatment rather than by the illness itself.
An innovative approach. Unlike existing indicators (PSI, CIRS, electronic data), the field-based approach of SafeCare Switzerland makes it possible to detect previously unreported cases, providing a more complete picture of patient safety.
Closing a gap. While many countries already collect such data systematically, Switzerland has been lagging behind – a shortcoming highlighted by the WHO, the OECD, and the Scientific Advisory Council to the Federal Health Insurance Act. SafeCare Switzerland closes this gap and provides an essential tool to strengthen patient safety, support healthcare professionals, and improve the efficiency of the healthcare system.
Objectives
The SafeCare Switzerland study is based on a solid and internationally recognized methodology: the Harvard Medical Practice Study (Bates DW et al., N Engl J Med. 2023). Specifically, it relies on a retrospective manual review of a random sample of patient records from 2023, drawn from a representative panel of Swiss hospitals and clinics.
- For the first time at the national level, the study will produce detailed indicators on the frequency, type, severity, and preventability of AEs occurring in inpatient care.
- In addition to measuring AEs, the study also gathers feedback from participating institutions to better understand the conditions necessary to replicate and use these measures at the federal, cantonal, and hospital levels. The aim is to provide concrete tools to improve the quality of care and strengthen patient safety.
- Beyond acute somatic care, SafeCare Switzerland also plans an extension of the project to adapt the findings to other care settings: long-term care, rehabilitation, and outpatient care.
