Since the end of August, hospitals have stopped providing data on flu and corona cases to the federal government. The federal government has discontinued a program that served as an early warning system during the pandemic. The University Hospital of Geneva does not accept the decision and is setting up its own system.
Author: Andreas Lüthi
15.09.2024, 09:05
Jason Toko’s office literally smells of numbers. This is where the data on hospitalizations, intensive care treatments and deaths at the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG) come in.
Caption: Geneva University Hospital is taking its own approach to disease monitoring. SRF
He is programming a system that provides a real-time overview of flu, corona and RSV infections. “We now have a completely automated and very adaptable solution,” says the computer scientist. Previously – during the pandemic – there was a manual part where a team had to enter the data manually.
We are flying blind if we do not know how many people will become seriously ill, be in intensive care or die.
This means that we work hand in hand. And the goal of saving employees as much time as possible in order to become more efficient and effective has been achieved, emphasises Toko. “This also means that we can get to patients faster and can sometimes even save lives.”
Caption: The system programmed by Jason Toko leads to greater efficiency and time savings at HUG. srf
Geneva in a pioneering role
Professor Stephan Harbarth has high hopes for Toko’s project. The infectious disease specialist deeply regrets that the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) stopped Switzerland-wide hospital monitoring of flu and corona diseases at the end of August. “We are flying blind if we don’t know how many people are becoming seriously ill, are in intensive care or are dying.”
With the automated monitoring, the head physician of hospital hygiene at HUG wants to take on a pioneering role, as the university hospital did 20 years ago with the previous model.
Switzerland is a desert when it comes to the collection and use of health data. SRF asked specialists. A lack of digitization, cantonal mentality, fear of the surveillance state and the low priority given to prevention prevent a broad and targeted use of health data.
Caption: The head of hospital hygiene, Stephan Harbarth, is convinced that the system introduced in the HUG can potentially save lives. SRF
This means that Switzerland is years behind countries such as Great Britain or Denmark. However, the collection of data would be important as an early warning system and basis for planning.
Nothing works without the BAG
Professor Harbarth now hopes that other hospitals will adopt his improved system. “It would of course be very important and beneficial if we could now use our system to get the other hospitals back on board.” A handful of hospitals would be much better than none at all.
However, a solid Switzerland-wide solution and a central evaluation of data would be difficult to imagine without the BAG due to data protection issues.
Caption: The fight against the pandemic at the University Hospital in Geneva is becoming more efficient thanks to a new program. srf
In a statement, the BAG indicates that it is also not happy about the end of Switzerland-wide hospital monitoring.
In a written statement, it points out that this was a temporary monitoring exercise that could not be continued for financial reasons and “in particular due to the limited automation and the high resource requirements”.
Modern, national platform «Digisanté» planned
According to the BAG, however, the plan is now to create a “modern, national platform for monitoring and reporting communicable diseases” as part of the Digisanté program. The revision of the Epidemic Act is expected to create the legal and financial basis for this within a few years. It is quite possible that Jason Toko’s program at the HUG will serve as a template for the federal government’s national platform.
