Integrierte Versorgung: Dr. João Magalhães im Interview
In an interview with Schweizer Hausapotheke, Dr João Magalhães, Regional Medical Director for Integrated Care at Swiss Medical Network, explains the importance of integrated care and its contribution to a better-coordinated care pathway.
The quality of medical care in Switzerland is high. Nevertheless, patient care is sometimes fragmented. Information can be lost, particularly during transitions between general practitioners, specialists, hospitals, nursing care and pharmacies, making follow-up care more difficult. Integrated care addresses this issue by improving collaboration between the different stakeholders, ensuring that patients receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place.
The general practitioner remains a key point of contact. Through long-term care, general practitioners are often particularly familiar with their patients’ medical histories and personal circumstances. Healthcare coordinators provide additional support by connecting the various professionals involved, for example following hospital discharge or when caring for people with chronic conditions. This makes it possible to identify changes earlier and initiate appropriate measures.
Swiss Medical Network implements this approach, among other things, through the VIVA insurance model and services such as Hospital at Home. The latter enables certain patients to receive hospital-level medical care at home, provided that the necessary conditions are met.
For Dr Magalhães, integrated care does not mean restricting medical services. Rather, the focus is on better coordination, early identification of risks and care that is more closely aligned with patients’ needs.
