Funding
19.02.2025
Call open: For Women in Science
Read more Close«For Woman in Science» is the successful global cooperation of UNESCO and L'Oréal. Since 1998, these two partners have been promoting women in science, fostering gender equality and highlighting the visibility of women in research as role models. The Swiss Program is launched in 2025 in partnership with the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW).
For this first edition, the program will award a total of CHF 100’000 distributed in 4 endowments of CHF 25’000 each to postdoctoral female researchers conducting exceptional work in STEM fields in Switzerland. The call for applications is also open to medical professionals. Registration is possible until 31 March 2025. Details can be found online.
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Projects
18.02.2025
Federal Health Act: time to debate
Read more CloseThe SAMS is convinced that the major challenges in the healthcare system cannot be solved with the current governance mechanisms and legal basis. It has therefore launched the idea of a Federal Health Act. The advantages and disadvantages of such an Act were discussed at a meeting organized by the Careum Foundation in Zurich in early January and again by the Population council in Neuchâtel in mid-February.
Staff shortages, uneven distribution of services, poor digitalization, lack of a national strategies for health promotion and prevention, ever-increasing costs – the list of challenges is long and the concern is great. New solutions to these problems are regularly proposed, but they are almost never implemented due to a lack of governance instruments. The competences between the Confederation and the cantons are intertwined, and the Swiss Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG/LAMal) as the most important legal basis is reaching its limits. A Federal Health Act could clarify competences and create a basis for the necessary reforms. Read more on our project page, which also contains the discussion report of the Careum Foundation.
Discussion Report Careum, French version (PDF)
Funding
13.02.2025
National MD-PhD program: Call for proposals thanks to new partners
Read more CloseSince 1992, the SAMS, together with private foundations and until 2024 with the SNSF, has awarded each year a limited number of competitive MD-PhD grants. Thanks to new partnerships with foundations and associated faculties, the national MD-PhD program can be continued. The submission deadline for applications is 15 May 2025.
National MD-PhD fellowships offer young physicians interested in research the opportunity to complete a doctorate in natural sciences, public health sciences, clinical research or biomedical ethics. Thanks to partnerships with foundations and all major medical faculties as well as the EPFL, the program can be continued. The objectives remain unchanged, but the regulations and evaluation procedure have been slightly adapted. The most important changes and all information on application submission can be found in the FAQ and on the program website.
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Ethics
12.02.2025
The SAMS guidelines in use: Collaboration between medical professionals and industry
Read more CloseFor over 50 years the SAMS medical-ethical guidelines provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance on ethically challenging situations in everyday clinical practice. The SAMS illustrates the guidelines on an ongoing basis using concrete practical examples. The current issue focuses on «Collaboration between medical professionals and industry». It is now available on our website in French and in German.
Medical-ethical guidelines need to be put to the test in practice. In this context, not only one's own experiences are important, but also those of professional colleagues. It is for this reason that, since 2018, «Primary and Hospital Care» has published a series of case studies illustrating how various SAMS guidelines can be applied in practice. Previous topics have included for example cardiopulmonary resuscitation, coercive measures in medicine and assessment of capacity in medical practice. As of 2025, the «Gazette médicale» will carry on the series with part 9, dedicated to the collaboration between medical professionals and industry. Download this article here. All the previous articles are available on our website.
Download the article, French version (PDF)
Ethics
11.02.2025
Workshop on the revision of the guidelines «Coercive Measures in Medicine»
Read more CloseThe Central Ethics Committee of the SAMS has set up a subcommittee to revise the guidelines «Coercive Measures in Medicine». As part of this revision, a discussion on the medical-ethical issues open to all professionals will take place in Berne on 22 May 2025. Registration is open until 30 April 2025.
The workshop, which will be held in French and German, presents the interim results of the revision process and provides a forum for in-depth discussion among experts. Take this opportunity to contribute your expertise to the medical-ethical debate, and play a role in the direction of the revision. Detailed information can be found in the programme (pdf). Participation is free but registration is compulsory.
Programm (PDF)
Publications
07.02.2025
Federal Health Act: report presents pros and cons
Read more CloseAt the invitation of the Careum Foundation, an event was held on January 9, 2025 in Zurich to debate the pros and cons of a Federal Health Act. Conclusion: the healthcare system needs a «combination therapy» of immediate measures and long-term structural reforms. Find out more about the arguments put forward by the audience in the report published today by Careum.
Having launched the idea of Federal Health Act in 2024, the SAMS accepted the Careum Foundation’s invitation to explore the subject in more detail at an event. Representatives of various stakeholders in the healthcare system discussed the need for a paradigm shift and possible approaches. For further details, please consult the report (in French or German) and our topic page.
Download the Report, French version (PDF)
Funding
24.01.2025
Update of the Swiss Health Care Atlas with data for 2023
Read more CloseOur healthcare system gives cause for concern: costs keep rising, the shortage of healthcare professionals is an issue, and the number of chronically ill people is increasing. Can we identify a link between a given service and a region? Are there indicators to examine in order to improve the system? Can services be bundled regionally? The Swiss Health Care Atlas can provide answers to such questions.
The Swiss Health Care Atlas uses over 100 indicators to document the use of health services in Switzerland. Designed as a learning system, it is to be continuously updated. The indicators were recently expanded to include data for 2023. This creates a basis for health services research and can help to plan and manage resources according to needs. The SAMS had co-financed the first version of the Atlas and continues to promote its use. Visit the website for further information.
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Projects
14.01.2025
Cochrane Library: Renewal of the national licence
Read more CloseThe SAMS renewed the national licence for the Cochrane Library for the year 2025. The Cochrane Library is available free of charge to professionals, but also to the Swiss population, enabling everyone to make informed health-related decisions thanks to reliable information.
The Cochrane network has been working together for almost 30 years to produce systematic reviews without any commercial funding. It summarizes research findings in the field of medical care and serve as a reliable basis for evidence-based medicine. The national licence is financed by the SAMS, the Federal Office of Public Health, the Swiss Medical Association as well as university libraries and hospitals. More information can be found on our website.
Further information