"Doing things electronically is better in the long run"
Dr. Christian Oberkofler emphasises greater safety for patients thanks to more comprehensive data, for example in the Compassana app, and makes a comparison with robot-assisted surgical procedures.
Why do you choose to use the Compassana app?
I am a fan of digitalised data because if you are going around with several pieces of paper in your hand, one of them can easily become mislaid, or a page gets overlooked while scanning. Of course, you can always ask for the information again, but there is another way. The more everything is done electronically, and the fewer pieces of paper are needed, the lower the number of errors will be. This is why I recommend an electronic file as part of the Compassana app.
What are the benefits for patients?
It would be safer for patients if they were able to manage their own data themselves. As a specialist, I am not familiar with their entire course of treatment. It is especially difficult to get the right information if an emergency occurs at the weekend. However, even during a normal consultation, specific medications, allergies and even previous medical procedures may be overlooked. Here is an example: once during a surgical procedure, we realised that the patient on the operating table had previously had surgery performed on the same area. Thanks to our training, we have the flexibility to deal with situations like this. However, it would still be preferable if we could have access to all the data beforehand. It would also be safer for patients if they always had their own documents and data to hand.
How do you see Compassana developing in the future?
In my view, the launch of Compassana is a bit like the development of robot-assisted surgery. Older surgeons believe that anything that can be operated on using a robot can also be done using laparoscopy or open surgery, which is true. You could also say that we do not need digitalised data because we already have slips of paper. But just as robots are more agile and perform better, I am convinced that doing things electronically will also be much better in the long run.
Where do you see Compassana in the future?
The challenge in Switzerland is that there are so many different systems. It is essential for patient records to be compatible with each other going forward. This is the only way to use digitalised data to speed up the flow of information in the healthcare system and make it more accurate.
* [Foederatio Medicorum Helveticorum: professional association of doctors in Switzerland]
