Newsletter « Science & innovation » No. 18 – Autumn 2026 issue

Innovation truly comes into its own when it leads to better clinical decisions and optimised patient care.

This edition of the Swiss Medical Network’s ‘Science & Innovation’ newsletter highlights several areas in which research and innovation are helping to advance clinical practice: from AI-assisted retinal imaging and paediatric orthopaedics to robotic knee surgery, as well as clinical governance and precision surgery.

In orthopaedics in particular, the recent studies listed below explore the potential and current limitations of AI in clinical documentation, as well as the initial results of robot-assisted knee arthroplasty. Within our group, the integration of research and training into the Medical and Nursing Steering Committee further strengthens the link between scientific data, professional development and clinical governance. In ophthalmology, the Swiss Visio Retina Research Centre is developing AI-based OCT analysis to refine the assessment of diseases and the monitoring of treatments. Finally, state-of-the-art pre-operative imaging is helping to personalise robotic surgery for prostate cancer and improve its precision.

Together, these contributions pursue a common goal: to turn innovation into a source of tangible and measurable benefits for patients and healthcare professionals.