Research reports on the International Health Policy Survey (IHP) of the Commonwealth Fund Foundation

The Commonwealth Fund Foundation (CWF) health policy surveys research reports 2010 to 2025 contain internationally comparable data.

The 2010 to 2025 reports on the health policy surveys (IHP – International Health Policy Surveys) conducted by the Commonwealth Fund Foundation are one of the sources of knowledge for the FOPH. 2025 is the last year of Swiss participation in the survey.

Focus and contents of the research reports

The reports on the IHP surveys set out the opinion of the specific target groups surveyed on topics that are of relevance to health policy. The results are recorded in the research reports.

The target groups for the survey are:

• the residential population aged over 18
  
• the older residential population (aged over 65)
  
• primary care doctors
  

The survey of a specific target group is repeated every three years.

• Topics covered by the surveys

  • assessment of overall satisfaction with the health system
    
  • evaluation of access to doctors (availability, waiting times)
    
  • appraisal of the quality of healthcare provided
    
  • self-assessment of possible incorrect treatments received
    
  • assessment of the coordination / exchange of information between healthcare professionals
    
  • assessment of the care situation and support for relatives
    
  • self-assessment of the burden placed on the household budget by medical treatment
    
  • assessment of the possibility of transmitting electronic data (e.g. via an electronic patient dossier)
    

Data use

The FOPH makes the IHP survey data available to researchers. A corresponding request must be made.

• Request for the use of the data sets

  A request must be submitted to the FOPH for the rights to use one or more sets of data from the International Health Policy Survey (IHP) conducted by the Commonwealth Fund Foundation (CWF). A corresponding request must be addressed to the Evaluation and Research Service; this must contain the following details:
  

  • name of the person requesting the rights of use
    
  • persons commissioning the research, where appropriate
    
  • brief description of the project (context in which the data is to be used); project management and other persons working with the data; project duration
    
  • duration of the requested rights of use, specifying dates
    
  • aim and purpose of data use, including questions
    
  • data sets requested (as of 2004 the data sets are available in SPSS format)
    
  • brief description of the planned data analysis
    
  • planned publications
    

  After approval of a request, the corresponding data set will be sent by e-mail in encrypted form to the person requesting the data. The data is supplied free of charge.
  

  Please send the complete and signed request by e-mail to
  

  [e-mail]

Further information

• Documents

  • Request for the use of the data sets from IHP surveys

    PDF109.73 kB28 January 2025

  • Overview of the IHP surveys in which Switzerland has participated

    PDF98.89 kB2 February 2026

  • Publications related to the International Health Policy Survey

    PDF152.22 kB2 February 2026

• Links

  International Health Care System Profiles

  The Commonwealth Fund

• Legislation

The research reports on the IHP surveys

Further information