We recently moved here and I got two inputs about healthcare:
1) égalité: my friends tell me everyone here has access to the best healthcare in the world
2) all my docs are 30y old and even for minor issues, there are unsure and have to "ask a colleague".
I can imagine both 1 and 2 being true (if we drop "the best" part), but wanted to check if I am missing something (beside money)?
Biggest advantage imo of the Swiss system is almost the complete absence of waiting times. Better to be seen by a junior doctor than not be seen by anyone for 10 weeks!
I've been very happy with health care here (we have a GP model, but have always been able to see every specialist we wanted to). Yes, the system is expensive, but there aren't artificial barriers... such as insurers barring access to diagnostics or treatment.
Would number 3 keep you happy? https://worldpopulationreview.com/co…e-in-the-world
quality control and safety: how you get to be in the top few
Anecdote: my cousin has had behavioural and health problems since her late teens and spent lots of time in and out of hospitals as an adult, and saw all sorts of "experienced specialists". It took 10 years for her to get a diagnosis, and it came from a very young doctor fresh out of med school: they were familiar with molecular genetics (which is a constantly evolving field) and ordered a genetic screening. Bingo, it turned out my cousin had a small chromosomal aberration. None of the senior docs were thought to do this because their knowledge of molecular genetics was about 30 years old, but the young doctor with the fresh education turned out to be the best doc my cousin has ever had.
Also, if you have surgery, and have a choice: take the - usually young or medium-ranking - surgeon who routinely performs that kind of surgery rather than trying to get the academically advanced, old doctor who no longer does as many. Practice and routine are super important for surgery, it's a manual skill like any other.
My father is a doctor and he himself says that you should generally select a young specialist and a middle-aged surgeon. He teaches medical residents and he says is is constantly blown away with how much young doctors know these days. He was educated in the 70s and is very behind on recent advancements in biology and medecine. He is of course aware of new technologies and treatments, but your average undergrad science student knows more about molecular genetics than my doctor dad.
Same, and this is what my doctor father tells me.
When I was seriously injured I saw mainly junior Drs, but the professor popped in to see me now and then - I know he was discussing me with them everyday.
When it comes to health care, quality can mean different things to different patients and on the flip side, to different health care providers. The factors that go into measuring quality, and even the method of measurement themselves will differ widely.
Overall, the Swiss system is good. On a regional or individual basis, sometimes excellent, sometimes abysmal. But overall, quite good.
However, overall quality matters little when you are the patient receiving abysmal care. There is certainly room for improvement both in skill of providers, availability of resources, delivery of care, barriers to delivery of care, cost of care, and the myriad of things that lead to both good outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Swiss health care is more expensive at the point of delivery than some, less expensive to the consumer than others. Is there waste that adds to costs? Of course. More or less than elsewhere? Who knows.
All of which is to say, YMMV.
A recent incident in my area:
All the assistant doctors at Spital Einsiedeln have collectively resigned. (There are only seven, it’s a small hospital.)
Overall from my Zurich based experience, Health care here is top notch.
I've been here for longer and I can assure you it's not the case, I get all sorts of doctors at all sorts of ages.
And yes, this is the best health care system in the world, save perhaps for the US, where you can have more cutting-edge stuff.
Now the "égalité" part doesn't really concern me, there's no equal access system in the history of the world (incl. communism where the apparatchiks had their own hospitals), I just care about "good".
As others have pointed, the minimal waiting times are rather extraordinary and I very much appreciate this point.
You know you're getting on in age when all of your doctors are younger than you! I have very specialized doctors (gastro, ENT, pulmonologist, CF specialists, nutrition etc) and they are very cool and open minded.
I can reject some of their recommendations, like anti-biotics, and choose what I take from them. I am very involved in alternative medicines and they totally support this. They said to me, carry on doing what you're doing!
The quality of treatment depends on who you get. it seems to be like any other job. Some are good at it and some aren't, independent of age.
I've had a lot of treatment here but some of the decisions in my opinion were wrong to the extent that if this were the US I'd be considering a lawsuit.
I have only the compulsory insurance and have seen mostly senior docs.
For outpatient stuff, I’ve always seen senior docs. My breast surgery was done by a senior doc and my knee surgery was done by a heavily supervised assistant.
At this point, I am older than most of my docs. It‘s ok.