15.09.2026

Day 2 – Support for people with NCDs

This article is part of our series on International Patient Safety Week 2026, which focuses on non-communicable diseases. Yesterday we looked at prevention; you can find all this week’s articles here.

A chronic condition requires more than just one-off appointments

Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer or mental health conditions affect many people for years on end.

In Switzerland, around 2.7 million people live with a non-communicable disease (NCD). For them, it is not only the medical treatment that is crucial, but also the fact that it is understandable, applicable to everyday life and well co-ordinated over the long term.

A chronic condition evolves. Similarly, life circumstances, priorities, the ability to cope and needs change. This is why effective treatment must be regularly reassessed and adapted. Safety does not stem from a rigid plan, but from a reliable process.

In this context, trust, continuity and clear communication are not additional services or luxuries, but essential prerequisites for treatment. They help to ensure that symptoms are addressed openly, uncertainties are resolved and measures are implemented. A good doctor–patient relationship is no substitute for diagnosis or evidence-based treatment, but it often forms the basis for them, thereby enabling both to be effective.

What is safe support?

Understanding people and their goals

Test results, treatment recommendations and diagnoses are important, but they do not tell the whole story. What is also crucial is what matters to the individual in their day-to-day life: remaining independent, being able to work, reducing pain, being there for their loved ones, or avoiding a difficult course of treatment. Shared goals link medical data to each person’s individual circumstances.

Deciding on treatments together

In the case of chronic conditions, there are often several treatment options. The benefits, risks and personal priorities must be discussed in detail. Shared decision-making means that expertise and personal preferences are brought together – not that responsibility is simply transferred to patients. The way in which patients actively take on this role is the focus of the third day.

Check your medication regularly

Each new diagnosis is often accompanied by an increase in the number of medicines. Regular monitoring of indications, an up-to-date list of medicines, clarification of dosage, effects and adverse effects, as well as checking for interactions, are essential safety measures. Over-the-counter medicines and dietary supplements are also included. This involves ongoing monitoring; the targeted review of medicines on admission and discharge is the focus of the fourth day.

Keep an eye on the progression and warning signs

Patients need to know what changes they can spot for themselves and what warning signs prompt them to seek help. A practical action plan is more useful than general advice telling them to report any problems.

Securing information across interfaces

The GP’s surgery, specialists, therapy providers, home care services, the chemist’s, the clinic and family members may all be involved at the same time. Integrated care ensures that relevant information, treatment objectives and responsibilities are not lost at the boundaries between organisations. We will discuss critical handover points on the fourth day.

Enabling self-management

Self-management involves supporting people so that they can manage their condition on a day-to-day basis as independently and safely as possible. This includes clear information, realistic goals, practical tools and access to professional support. Responsibility for coordinated care lies with the healthcare system. Day 3 is entirely devoted to patient empowerment and self-management in everyday life.