In an international comparison, Switzerland is ahead of the game: in a survey on primary care, the healthcare system scored first place. However, administrative tasks are increasing. This is a cause for concern.
In the international study “International Health Policy Survey,” primary care physicians, i.e., family physicians and pediatricians, were surveyed on health policy issues. Switzerland was able to take first place. 92.7 percent of respondents rated the system’s performance as good or very good. In particular, the cooperation and exchange of information with the specialist physicians as well as the access to medical services are assessed positively. 96% of primary care providers rate information sharing and coordination as very good. And access to medical services for patients is also rated as very good. The short waiting times also rank among the best in an international comparison.
69% of respondents are very satisfied with their job. However, 37% also rated their work as extremely or very stressful. That still looked different in 2015. There, the figure was only 31%. In particular, 60.7 percent of those surveyed rated the time required for administrative activities with insurance companies or billing as a major problem. This assumption is also shared by hospital physicians. A total of 1572 physicians participated in the representative survey. Patient-facing work now accounts for an average of only 34 percent of the work performed by hospital-based physicians. With 20% of the daily time spent, documentation work around the patient dossier already follows in second place. Approximately 119 minutes are spent daily on documentation, and for residents the figure is as high as 197 minutes. This steadily increasing effort is probably one of the reasons why job satisfaction has declined over the past nine years. However, 80 percent of physicians in acute care and psychiatry and 70 percent in rehabilitation still confirm that they are very or somewhat satisfied with their work. 90 percent rate their job as interesting. However, the majority of the medical profession is constantly suffering from performance and time pressures. In acute care, 80% of physicians say this is very or somewhat true. And at 60% (2019) vs. 40% (2012), the number of physicians who suffer from stress most or often has also increased significantly. Having enough time for patients would therefore not only be important for the sick, but also for the job satisfaction of physicians.
Source: FMH – Professional Association of Swiss Physicians; www.fmh.ch/index.cfm
InFo NEUROLOGY & PSYCHIATRY 2020; 18(1): 40.
