Swiss healthcare cost containment policies and their impact on anaesthetists’ density and satisfaction
INTRODUCTION: To control healthcare costs, Federal and Cantonal states have introduced policies to limit expenses and the number of practising physicians. It is unclear to date whether these policies have had a real impact on anaesthetists in Switzerland. The aim of the current study was to as...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)
2011-09-01
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| Series: | Swiss Medical Weekly |
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| Online Access: | https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1353 |
| _version_ | 1811194127226765312 |
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| author | C Mamie F Clergue D Zocatelli |
| author_facet | C Mamie F Clergue D Zocatelli |
| author_sort | C Mamie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
INTRODUCTION: To control healthcare costs, Federal and Cantonal states have introduced policies to limit expenses and the number of practising physicians. It is unclear to date whether these policies have had a real impact on anaesthetists in Switzerland. The aim of the current study was to assess the density, characteristics and satisfaction of anaesthetists in Latin Switzerland and to compare the results with data collected before the introduction of cost containment policies in 2002.
METHOD: We performed a cross-sectional study between March and July 2009 and included all practicing anaesthetists in Latin Switzerland. A questionnaire consisting of 103 items analysing demographics, activity and job satisfaction was used. The results were analysed and compared to a previous survey conducted in 2002.
RESULTS: Compared to 2002, there was an overall 12% increase in the number of practising anaesthetists who were older and more often females (42% versus 35% in 2002 (p = 0.06)). The number of non-Swiss anaesthetists significantly increased to 19% compared to 11% in 2002 (p <0.05). In contrast, working hours in public hospitals decreased from 59 to 53 hours/week (p <0.001). The majority of anaesthetists considered that their overall personal situation was better than in the previous 10 years and 87.7% considered that these measures had no impact on their future plans.
CONCLUSIONS: Implicit rationing policies introduced in Switzerland to limit healthcare costs and the number of physicians has had no impact on anaesthetists’ workforce density, working conditions and overall satisfaction in Latin Switzerland. This opens the question of the real usefulness of these policies, at least for anaesthetists.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:20:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e9d2325a64e943a7b8bd0d7eff6424d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-3997 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:20:43Z |
| publishDate | 2011-09-01 |
| publisher | SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Swiss Medical Weekly |
| spelling | doaj.art-e9d2325a64e943a7b8bd0d7eff6424d32022-12-22T03:55:44ZengSMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)Swiss Medical Weekly1424-39972011-09-01141394010.4414/smw.2011.13251Swiss healthcare cost containment policies and their impact on anaesthetists’ density and satisfactionC MamieF ClergueD Zocatelli INTRODUCTION: To control healthcare costs, Federal and Cantonal states have introduced policies to limit expenses and the number of practising physicians. It is unclear to date whether these policies have had a real impact on anaesthetists in Switzerland. The aim of the current study was to assess the density, characteristics and satisfaction of anaesthetists in Latin Switzerland and to compare the results with data collected before the introduction of cost containment policies in 2002. METHOD: We performed a cross-sectional study between March and July 2009 and included all practicing anaesthetists in Latin Switzerland. A questionnaire consisting of 103 items analysing demographics, activity and job satisfaction was used. The results were analysed and compared to a previous survey conducted in 2002. RESULTS: Compared to 2002, there was an overall 12% increase in the number of practising anaesthetists who were older and more often females (42% versus 35% in 2002 (p = 0.06)). The number of non-Swiss anaesthetists significantly increased to 19% compared to 11% in 2002 (p <0.05). In contrast, working hours in public hospitals decreased from 59 to 53 hours/week (p <0.001). The majority of anaesthetists considered that their overall personal situation was better than in the previous 10 years and 87.7% considered that these measures had no impact on their future plans. CONCLUSIONS: Implicit rationing policies introduced in Switzerland to limit healthcare costs and the number of physicians has had no impact on anaesthetists’ workforce density, working conditions and overall satisfaction in Latin Switzerland. This opens the question of the real usefulness of these policies, at least for anaesthetists. https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1353anaesthesia workforcecost containment policiesphysicians’ satisfactionSwiss healthcare system |
| spellingShingle | C Mamie F Clergue D Zocatelli Swiss healthcare cost containment policies and their impact on anaesthetists’ density and satisfaction Swiss Medical Weekly anaesthesia workforce cost containment policies physicians’ satisfaction Swiss healthcare system |
| title | Swiss healthcare cost containment policies and their impact on anaesthetists’ density and satisfaction |
| title_full | Swiss healthcare cost containment policies and their impact on anaesthetists’ density and satisfaction |
| title_fullStr | Swiss healthcare cost containment policies and their impact on anaesthetists’ density and satisfaction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Swiss healthcare cost containment policies and their impact on anaesthetists’ density and satisfaction |
| title_short | Swiss healthcare cost containment policies and their impact on anaesthetists’ density and satisfaction |
| title_sort | swiss healthcare cost containment policies and their impact on anaesthetists density and satisfaction |
| topic | anaesthesia workforce cost containment policies physicians’ satisfaction Swiss healthcare system |
| url | https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1353 |
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