New platform for customers to review hospitals and clinics in Switzerland

There are 4.04 physicians per 1,000 people in Switzerland compared with 2.56 physicians per 1,000 people in the United States.

Switzerland has 293 hospitals, 70% of which are public or publicly subsidised. There are also some for-profit private clinics for diagnosis and surgical procedures. The 26 Swiss cantons are individually responsible for planning and funding their own hospitals.  Cantons are also required to coordinate with each other to allow patients to move freely among them.

Looking online is the natural place to begin researching, and several sites rate and compare hospitals and doctors in Switzerland. When online rating sites compare hospitals, they are not always making a fair comparison however. Different sites may look at different types of data to make their conclusions.

Here are a few measurements that a site may include:

  • Patient experiences: What do patients think about the care they receive?
  • Processes: How many patients received the correct care they needed for their specific situation?
  • Outcomes: How well did patients do after receiving treatment?
  • Cost: How much do specific services cost?
  • Safety: How many patients suffered from hospital-related injuries or infections?

On review sites there is no vetting of comments, other than sometimes removing reviews that could be considered libellous. Once a negative review is there, it is very hard to get it removed.

HealthSoul also provides the opportunity for consumers to share their reviews on insurance companies in Switzerland.