Administration in the healthcare sector
The FOPH is keen to play its part in clarifying this issue. Clear data should help to develop and adopt targeted actions to lower the costs and resources involved. Doing so represents a sizeable challenge for all the parties concerned.
Growing healthcare administration coming under fire
The administration required within the healthcare sector has come in for growing criticism over the past few years. The steep increases in the expenses and resources involved – especially among healthcare service providers – have been questioned by politicians, the media and industry professionals alike. These trends are also felt to be one of the reasons for the steady rises in healthcare costs.
Data unclear; more transparency required
The scale of the administration required in the healthcare sector and the reasons for the same are to a large extent unclear. A study of the associated literature conducted by the FOPH reveals that there is no systematic collection of data in Switzerland on the scope and the distribution of such administrative activities. It is also largely unclear what lies specifically behind the administration provided.
A two-phase approach
We want to make our contribution to casting light on this issue. And in view of its complexity, we will be adopting a two-phase approach to this end:
- Phase 1 is intended to raise transparency in the type and extent of the administration that the healthcare sector maintains. The facts on this are currently inadequate. So a survey among selected healthcare service provider groups should help us better understand the extent of and the reasons for the administrative activities that are directly connected with healthcare provision.
- Building on the results and findings of Phase 1, Phase 2 should see the development and adoption of targeted actions to reduce such administrative activities and the resources they require.
An initial focus on GPs
For the survey of administrative activities envisaged under Phase 1, we will be putting an initial focus on a single group of healthcare service providers: GPs, who, with their range of medical skills and expertise, must often contend with varied administrative demands.
The operation of a GP medical practice will tend to be less complex than that of a major hospital. And with less implementation effort involved, the prospects will also be higher of obtaining meaningful survey responses.
The targeted selection of specific GP practices with varying scope to influence their administrative activities (e.g. in the extent of their digitalisation and/or the services they provide) should also permit a representative range of responses to be procured.
Support from an external working group, too
An external working group has been formed to support these endeavours. The group consists of:
- 2 representatives from the FMH Swiss Medical Association
- 2 representatives from the mfe GP and paediatricians’ association
- 1 representative from the GDK cantonal health ministers’ conference
- 2 representatives from the prio.swiss health insurers’ association
- 1 representative from the spo Swiss patients’ organisation.
The working group will be further supported by academic specialists from the Bern and Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences.
Current status and next steps
The survey was developed in collaboration with the Institute of Primary Care at the University of Zurich and with the involvement of the working group. The start was originally scheduled for October 2025. The survey plan was approved in December 2025. The survey of GPs will begin in May 2026. Initial interim results are expected at the end of August 2026. The final report is scheduled to be available in January 2027.
Further information
Index
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Health insurance benefits Division
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
Switzerland - 3003 Bern