14.09.2026

Day 1 – Prevention

This post is part of our series for International Patient Safety Week 2026, focusing on non-communicable diseases. You can find all the posts for the week here: Blog page.

Prevention starts in everyday life: by keeping active, eating a balanced diet, not smoking and getting vaccinated. These basic measures have an impact long before your next doctor’s appointment.

In addition, there are targeted screening tests – such as a blood pressure check, a mammogram or a stool test. However, prevention is only truly effective if the test is carried out at the right time, the results are reviewed and any abnormal findings are reliably followed up.

This is the focus of the first day of Patient Safety Week.

Why an examination alone is not enough

Imagine you have a test carried out to check your stool for blood – an important step in bowel cancer screening. The result comes back: abnormal. But then nothing happens. Nobody rings you, nobody explains what to do next. The test was technically sound – yet it was not reliable.

Such gaps often arise at the interfaces between GP practices, laboratories and hospitals. Integrated care provides a reliable pathway by ensuring that all those involved work together in a coordinated manner. This includes:

preventing illnesses and complications wherever possible,
making diagnoses in good time and reliably following up on abnormal results.
Equally important are appropriate investigations, a good exchange of information and your active involvement in decisions.

A test is not automatically advisable simply because it is available. Only a clear discussion of the benefits and risks enables a sound joint decision to be made.

Four ways in which prevention works

Prevention works differently depending on whether you are healthy, are at increased risk or have already been diagnosed

Staying healthy

This is the best-known approach. Vaccinations, giving up smoking, taking exercise, eating a balanced diet, drinking less alcohol – all of these can prevent a disease from developing in the first place.

Early detection

Some risks or conditions can be detected before you even notice any symptoms – for example, high blood pressure or the early signs of cancer. The earlier this is done, the more options there are for taking early action.

Preventing deterioration

If a condition is already present – such as diabetes or a cardiovascular disease – the aim is to prevent complications. Regular check-ups, well-managed medication and a structured aftercare programme make all the difference here.

Don't overdo it

This is the least well-known, but equally important, form of prevention. It protects you from undergoing unnecessary tests or treatment. This involves critically assessing a test if its benefits are unclear, regularly checking whether all prescribed medicines are still really necessary, and deciding together with you when the benefits and risks of a course of action are closely balanced.

After all, more medicine does not automatically mean greater safety.

Scientifically based recommendations

The Swiss EviPrev recommendations outline which screening tests are advisable, depending on age, personal risk and the current state of knowledge.

Three examples that affect many people:

Colorectal cancer screening: Recommended for most people aged between 50 and 75 – either a faecal occult blood test every two years or a colonoscopy every ten years. Any abnormal result must be investigated further.
Breast cancer screening: A mammogram every two years is recommended for women aged between 50 and 75. The benefits and potential risks – such as unnecessary follow-up investigations – should be discussed openly. If there is a family history of the disease, individual specialist advice is important.
Cervical cancer screening: Screening is recommended every three years for women aged between 21 and 70. For women aged 21 to 29, this is carried out cytologically; for those aged between 30 and 70, it is carried out cytologically or using a primary HPV test. Abnormal findings must be reliably followed up across multiple points of contact.

Prevention throughout all stages of life

The most appropriate course of action depends on age, family history, existing medical conditions and personal preferences.

What happens after an investigation

An investigation is just the beginning. Confidence is built through a clear process: identifying the risk, discussing it together, documenting it, establishing responsibilities, following up on the findings and ensuring the next steps are taken.

What matters

Prevention becomes patient safety when risks are not only identified, but also jointly assessed, documented and reliably monitored.

Five questions for your next interview

If you have a preventive healthcare appointment coming up, these questions may help you play an active part in the discussion:

1. Which screening tests are actually recommended for my age and my personal risk?

2. Are my vaccinations and key health check-ups up to date?

3. Do I know my main risk factors – for example, my blood pressure or any family history of the condition?

4. If a result is abnormal: Do I know who will inform me and what the next steps are?

5. Have I also discussed which tests are not necessary for me at the moment?

It is precisely this last question that is often overlooked – yet it is just as much a part of sound financial planning as the other four: it is not about having as much as possible, but about finding what is right for you.