Timely and effective interventions into the dynamics of an epidemiological occurrence require that health risks from communicable diseases are identified at an early stage and reported in order to avert and prevent damage.
This places high demands on the notifying doctors, hospitals and laboratories and on the design of information channels and data processing.
The reporting obligation is the key systemic element for the surveillance of communicable diseases in Switzerland. The Guide for the reporting obligation describes, in addition to the reporting criteria and reporting deadlines, the relevant specifics of the reporting procedure for communicable diseases and pathogens subject to notification. The poster shows an overview of the communicable diseases and pathogens subject to notification.
Who reports?
All doctors, hospitals, public or private healthcare institutions and laboratories in Switzerland, operate according to the ‘diagnosing party responsible for reporting’ principle.
Hospitals coordinate their reporting activities internally.
When to report?
As soon as the relevant reporting criterion is met, within 2 hours, 24 hours or 1 week - the Guide for the reporting obligation describes the pathogen-specific reporting criteria and specific features.
How to report?
Laboratory findings on reportable pathogens should be submitted electronically if possible.
Notifiable diseases without an electronic reporting channel must initially be submitted using the reporting form (page available only in German, French and Italian). Depending on the reporting deadline, this can be done by HIN-secured e-mail, fax or post - or by telephone in the case of a (suspected) pathogen, which must be reported within 2 hours.
Report to whom?
Laboratories initially report to the FOPH and the cantonal medical service of the place of residence of the person concerned. In the course of 2024, the reporting channel for electronically transmitted laboratory findings will be changed and will then be sent exclusively to the FOPH.
Clinical findings must be reported to the cantonal medical service of the place of residence of the person concerned.
Epidemiological findings must be reported to the cantonal medical service of the canton in which the doctor, hospital or public or private healthcare institution that made the observation is located.
What to report?
In accordance with the FDHA Ordinance of 1 December 2015 on the reporting of observations of communicable diseases in humans (SR 818.101.126, page available only in German, French and Italian), the following must be reported:
Doctors report clinical findings in accordance with the reporting forms (including details of the person concerned, laboratory diagnostics, exposure, vaccination status and measures).
With the introduction of electronic reporting, the AHV number of the person concerned, the GLN of the reporting doctor and the UID/BUR number of the reporting establishment (hospital, practice) must also be reported or transmitted to the reporting laboratory when ordering the laboratory diagnosis. Notifications using the PDF notification form are not affected by this;
Laboratories report laboratory results in accordance with the reporting forms (including details of the person concerned, the ordering doctor, the date of collection and test, the method and the result).
With the introduction of digital reports, the information transmitted to the laboratory by the ordering doctor with the laboratory order, i.e. the AHV number of the person concerned, the GLN of the reporting doctor and the UID/BUR number of the reporting establishment (hospital, practice), must also be reported by the laboratory. In addition, the laboratory identifies itself via its own UID/BUR number when reporting.
Hospitals report epidemiological findings in accordance with the reporting forms (including epidemiological characteristics, number of patients affected, measures taken).
Hospitals report epidemiological findings on the reporting form (incl. epidemiological features, number of patients affected, measures taken).
Last modification 20.12.2024
Contact
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Communicable Diseases Division
Surveillance Systems Section
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
3003
Bern
Switzerland
Tel.
+41 58 463 87 06