Second pilot project for the implementation of Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Switzerland – Project EQK

Information about the project:

Working together for better quality in healthcare: A new pilot project to collect patient outcome data has been launched. How do patients experience their treatment – and how can this experience contribute to improved quality of care? A new pilot project, funded by the Swiss Federal Quality Commission (EQK), makes the impact of medical treatments visible from the perspective of those affected, across all levels of care. The project focuses on so-called Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). These are structured feedback forms that allow patients to assess their own quality of life, health, and satisfaction after medical treatments. Such information is crucial for understanding the actual impact of therapies – across disciplines and along the entire treatment pathway.

What is special about this project:

This project in Switzerland in three language regions is testing a cross-sector PROMs solution, in which hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and other partners collaborate closely. The aim is to avoid duplicate data collection and promote a shared understanding of good treatment quality – from the perspective of the patients themselves.

The project focuses on orthopedic procedures – in particular artificial knee and hip joints and shoulder replacements (total replacement, partial replacement, and revisions). 500 patients will be followed at five points in time over 12 months, from hospital admission through rehabilitation to aftercare at home.

The project’s multidimensional approach includes not only the PROMs mentioned earlier but also Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs). This ensures that the patients’ experiences during the care process are also incorporated, such as their perceptions of communication. Furthermore, Clinic Reported Outcome Measures (CROMs) are used to assess the treatment outcomes from the perspective of the treating physicians.

Who is involved?

In addition to Healthbrain GmbH (project management; PROMs solution provider) and the Clinical Trial Unit of the Quality of Life Foundation, launched by Hirslanden AG as a research partner, numerous stakeholders from all language regions of Switzerland are involved: these include Hirslanden clinics in German- and French-speaking Switzerland, the Ospedale Lugano/Bellinzona (EOC) in Ticino, selected rehabilitation clinics throughout Switzerland, health insurers, Intonate GmbH (AI-supported medical documentation), and other partners – including the Zurich Patient Advocacy Office, to represent the patient perspective.

The project runs from April 2025 to September 2027 and is supported by the EQK (Swiss Excellence Commission). It is based on the recommendations of the Swiss Society of Orthopaedics (Swiss Excellence Label) and also allows for direct integration with the national implant registry (SIRIS, Swiss-RDL). With this project, EQK is providing an important impetus for patient-centered care and the further development of quality measurement in the Swiss healthcare system. Because good medicine is not only reflected in numbers – but above all in the actual health benefits experienced by people.

The following goals are to be achieved in the project:

• Accurate, fast and efficient tool for professionals and patients
• Systematic recording of the patient perspective (e.g. quality of life after knee, hip or shoulder implants, as well as optional cruciate ligament and meniscus implants).
• Standardize outcome measurement to ensure comparability between hospitals, health insurance companies, and the federal government.
• Evidence-based healthcare management (quality assurance, research, reimbursement systems).
• Implementation of a SaaS software solution for secure, data protection-compliant and cross-sector networking of all PROMs participants