“If we don’t get prepared, the next crisis will hit us in the same way”: COVID-19 lessons learnt and its policy implications

Despite Switzerland’s wealth and the strengths of its healthcare system, the country faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, it is crucial to reflect on this period and to focus on the lessons learnt to prepare for future, inevitable public health emergencies. To better understand the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for healthcare practice and preparedness, we conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of 57 Swiss healthcare providers (SHPs) involved in the care of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. SHPs affiliated with the following types of organisations and roles were included in our target group: nursing homes, hospitals, ambulance organisations, primary care, home care institutions, ethicists with clinical and non-clinical affiliations and cantonal administration. We analysed the interviews using thematic analysis. We identified six themes: (1) experience as a valuable resource requires active use; (2) healthcare workforce needs to be strengthened; (3) knowing patients’ will needs to be a guiding principle; (4) collaboration as key to navigate decentralisation; (5) preparedness requires strengthening of various healthcare domains; (6) restriction measures need to be proportionate and transparent. Our results yield several implications for policy-making to better navigate future health crises. Lessons learnt need to be documented and institutionalised, and the healthcare workforce strengthened. A focus should be on the promotion of advance directives and enhanced coordination across institutions. Sustained governmental support and clear policy frameworks are required to guide decision-making, resource allocation and to enable preparedness at organisational and national levels.