The Swiss healthcare system is highly decentralised, with the cantons playing a key role. Together with the municipalities, they are responsible, among other things, for providing sufficient and economically affordable medical and nursing care. The cantons control the acute care sector on the basis of Article 39 of the Swiss Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG) by means of hospital planning and lists for the admission of hospitals to ordinary health and nursing care insurance. Its purpose is to contain costs or avoid overcapacity.
We are currently dealing with two aspects of regional health policy: First, we analyse regionally varying trends in the closure of GP surgeries, which have far-reaching consequences for the affected regions as well as for the entire health system. Secondly, we are investigating regional variations in the prescription of so-called “low value” treatments (e.g. vitamin D tests) and generic drugs.