Ethical research on the implementation of DRGs in Switzerland – a challenging project

Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) are currently being introduced on a national scale as a prospective reimbursement scheme in Swiss in-patient hospital care, replacing any remaining retrospective day-rate arrangements. DRGs are expected to promote transparency and efficiency while helping to con...

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Main Authors: Verina Wild, Eliane Pfister, Nikola Biller-Andorno
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW) 2012-07-01
Series:Swiss Medical Weekly
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1554
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author Verina Wild
Eliane Pfister
Nikola Biller-Andorno
author_facet Verina Wild
Eliane Pfister
Nikola Biller-Andorno
author_sort Verina Wild
collection DOAJ
description Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) are currently being introduced on a national scale as a prospective reimbursement scheme in Swiss in-patient hospital care, replacing any remaining retrospective day-rate arrangements. DRGs are expected to promote transparency and efficiency while helping to contain health care costs. The governmental decision to introduce DRGs has caused considerable controversy among different stakeholders, due to diverging appraisals of what will happen when DRGs are introduced as an economic management tool in Switzerland. The controversial discourse on DRGs is particularly interesting from an ethical point of view, since all arguments inevitably contain ethical considerations. In this paper we summarise the results of our exploratory ethical studies that have led to a larger research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation: “Impact of Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs) on patient care and professional practice” (IDoC). In section 1: ‘Developing an understanding of the ethical issues at stake’ we briefly explain how DRGs work, what the intended effects are, what the public is concerned about and what the scientific research tells us so far. In section 2: ‘Developing an ethical framework for research on DRGs in Switzerland’ we summarise the ethical issues and explain the ethical framework we will use in order to perform research on the complex issue of DRGs in Switzerland. Only once a profound understanding of the challenges exists can research on the ethical implications of DRGs be successful.
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spelling doaj.art-b15e84fe744945bcb89b0db1e87fa68a2022-12-22T04:24:40ZengSMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)Swiss Medical Weekly1424-39972012-07-01142313210.4414/smw.2012.13610Ethical research on the implementation of DRGs in Switzerland – a challenging projectVerina WildEliane PfisterNikola Biller-Andorno Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) are currently being introduced on a national scale as a prospective reimbursement scheme in Swiss in-patient hospital care, replacing any remaining retrospective day-rate arrangements. DRGs are expected to promote transparency and efficiency while helping to contain health care costs. The governmental decision to introduce DRGs has caused considerable controversy among different stakeholders, due to diverging appraisals of what will happen when DRGs are introduced as an economic management tool in Switzerland. The controversial discourse on DRGs is particularly interesting from an ethical point of view, since all arguments inevitably contain ethical considerations. In this paper we summarise the results of our exploratory ethical studies that have led to a larger research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation: “Impact of Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs) on patient care and professional practice” (IDoC). In section 1: ‘Developing an understanding of the ethical issues at stake’ we briefly explain how DRGs work, what the intended effects are, what the public is concerned about and what the scientific research tells us so far. In section 2: ‘Developing an ethical framework for research on DRGs in Switzerland’ we summarise the ethical issues and explain the ethical framework we will use in order to perform research on the complex issue of DRGs in Switzerland. Only once a profound understanding of the challenges exists can research on the ethical implications of DRGs be successful. https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1554DRGethicsprospective payment systemresearch
spellingShingle Verina Wild
Eliane Pfister
Nikola Biller-Andorno
Ethical research on the implementation of DRGs in Switzerland – a challenging project
Swiss Medical Weekly
DRG
ethics
prospective payment system
research
title Ethical research on the implementation of DRGs in Switzerland – a challenging project
title_full Ethical research on the implementation of DRGs in Switzerland – a challenging project
title_fullStr Ethical research on the implementation of DRGs in Switzerland – a challenging project
title_full_unstemmed Ethical research on the implementation of DRGs in Switzerland – a challenging project
title_short Ethical research on the implementation of DRGs in Switzerland – a challenging project
title_sort ethical research on the implementation of drgs in switzerland a challenging project
topic DRG
ethics
prospective payment system
research
url https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1554
work_keys_str_mv AT verinawild ethicalresearchontheimplementationofdrgsinswitzerlandachallengingproject
AT elianepfister ethicalresearchontheimplementationofdrgsinswitzerlandachallengingproject
AT nikolabillerandorno ethicalresearchontheimplementationofdrgsinswitzerlandachallengingproject