- 24.08.2026 - 08:48
At the conference, Daria and Enqi presented two studies examining the consequences of hospital reforms in Switzerland from different perspectives.
Daria Bukanova-Berend presented her work on the Swiss hospital capacity planning reform and its impact on hospital costs. Based on nationwide inpatient data from 2010 to 2023, the study investigates whether the introduction of service group-specific mandates and the associated concentration of hospital services improved economic efficiency. The results point to an overall reduction in inpatient costs following implementation, while also revealing considerable differences in effects across service groups.
Enqi Fu presented research examining how Swiss 2012 hospital reform affected patient mobility, hospital operations, and clinical safety. The reform expanded patients’ ability to seek elective inpatient treatment outside their home canton, creating new choices for patients as well as new competitive dynamics for hospitals. The study finds that patients became more mobile and travelled further for care following the reform. At the same time, hospitals shortened lengths of stay and adjusted their use of resources, while inpatient mortality remained unchanged.
Viewed together, the two studies shed light on how policy reforms can reshape a hospital system. Both contribute to a better understanding of how hospital policies can balance efficiency, accessibility, and clinical quality.
The INFORMS Healthcare Conference also provided an excellent setting for discussing these findings with researchers working at the intersection of healthcare, economics, operations research, and policy. Feedback during the sessions and conversations throughout the conference offered valuable input for the further development of both projects and opened up new avenues for exchange and collaboration.
We thank INFORMS Healthcare and the conference organizers for an engaging conference and for the many stimulating discussions in Raleigh.
