Emergency hospital admissions vary widely between cantons
Residents in French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland are more likely to head to hospital emergency departments than those in German-speaking regions, a new study shows.
In 2016, 1.7 million emergency admissions were recorded in Swiss hospitals, meaning that 14% of the population visited the emergency dept at least once, the Swiss Health Observatory (OBSAN)External link said in a survey published on Tuesday. But rates of admission varied widely between cantons.
Inhabitants of Italian-speaking Ticino went to A&E five times more frequently (296 admissions per 1,000 residents) than those of canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes in eastern German-speaking Switzerland (53 admissions per 1,000).
Following on from Ticino were cantons Vaud (282), Fribourg (279), Neuchâtel (264) and Jura (254), Basel City (252) and Geneva (222).
The Swiss average was 197 per 1,000. The German-speaking canton of Bern had 171 admissions while other German-speaking cantons were even lower, including Zug (117), Nidwalden (117), Schwyz (121) and Uri (126).
“In the cantons where the rates of admissions are the highest, there is probably more a tendency for emergency departments to handle less severe cases,” survey coordinator Clémence Merçay told Swiss public television (RTS).
Merçay added that 22% of the individuals admitted to hospital emergency services in 2016 came several times a year. Often they were young children whose parents had difficulty accurately assessing the seriousness of their child’s health problems or didn’t have a GP.
She acknowledged however that when the statistics for emergency hospital admissions and on-call emergency doctors’ services were combined, the differences between cantons were less dramatic.
More
More
Swiss spend the most on healthcare
This content was published on
The Swiss spend more from their own pockets for health care than any other nation, according to a survey for the price comparison website Comparis.
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
This content was published on
Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss spend the most on healthcare
This content was published on
The Swiss spend more from their own pockets for health care than any other nation, according to a survey for the price comparison website Comparis.
This content was published on
Some 60 private health insurers compete for this business. They are all obliged to offer the basic package to all comers for the same rate, regardless of health history, and are not allowed to make profit on the basic health insurance. Information on the mandatory benefits can be found hereExternal link. Most insurers also offer top-up…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.