New models of cooperation for a nationwide healthcare platform (Swiss-KIS)

The preliminary study conducted as part of the Swiss KIS project at ETH Zurich addresses gaps in research regarding cooperation and business models in the healthcare sector. It analyses theory and practice, identifies viable hospital partnerships – particularly cooperative models – and provides a foundation for governance and sustainable financing.

Key data

Description

The Swiss KIS project – a collaborative initiative between ETH Zurich, Baden Cantonal Hospital and the Ticino Cantonal Hospitals – aims to explore the feasibility of a modular, interoperable health data platform for Switzerland. The platform is intended to be organised on a non-profit basis and owned by hospitals and healthcare stakeholders, with a view to sustainably strengthening digital infrastructure, innovation and data sovereignty.

Specific systematic analyses or reviews that focus explicitly on cooperation and business models in these sectors are limited. The preliminary study aims to fill this gap by examining and summarising theoretical versus practical implementation. Furthermore, the study offers the opportunity to compile an overview of various forms of cooperation and legal and organisational barriers within the healthcare sector.

As a preliminary study, this research forms a preparatory component of the Swiss KIS project and aims to generate knowledge for the conceptual design of the governance component and the future business model. The focus is on the question of what novel cooperation and shared-service approaches between Swiss hospitals might look like in order to tap into synergies, efficiency gains and joint innovation capacity. Particular emphasis is placed on the theoretical versus practical implementation.

The aim is to identify viable approaches for cooperation models between hospitals that enable a more efficient use of resources, fair decision-making and governance processes, and sustainable ownership structures. In particular, a cooperative model is analysed in depth.

The results will feed directly into the governance and business model development of the planned Swiss KIS AG. They will form the basis for concrete participation mechanisms, valuation frameworks for financial and in-kind contributions, and sustainable financing models, thereby creating a robust foundation for the subsequent scaling and implementation of the platform.