Gestaltungsanforderungen an das trimediale Kommunikationskon-strukt von Geschäftsleitung, Pflegefachperson und Patient/in zur Förderung der Patientenzufriedenheit - Einzelfallstudie am Beispiel des Regionalspitals GZO AG Wetzikon (CH)

The Swiss healthcare system is currently facing numerous challenges. One of these is the continuous increase in health insurance premiums, which leads to rising costs. Additionally, the workload and working conditions of nursing staff are being criticized, resulting in many leaving the healthcare sector. The resulting shortage of qualified healthcare professionals impacts the quality of care. Hospital management must also address the consequences of healthcare policy reforms, which aim to reduce costs, improve transparency, and increase efficiency. Public discussions are heavily focused on costs and maintaining the quality of care.

From the management’s perspective, patients are the most important group, as they ensure the hospital’s existence. Nevertheless, nursing staff are increasingly coming into the focus of management because the growing demand for qualified nursing personnel is leading to intense competition within the industry, forcing hospitals to critically review and adjust their working conditions. Nursing staff play a crucial role in patient care as they are responsible not only for patient care but also for contributing to efficiency and, therefore, cost control, acting as carriers of organizational culture. Given this situation, it is essential for management to shift their focus to ensure the hospital’s competitiveness and success.

The theoretical section highlighted the relationship between communication and patient satisfaction as a central theme in the Swiss healthcare system, as it has a direct impact on perception and thus the experienced quality of care. This involves not only understanding factual content but also addressing emotional aspects that play a role during an illness. Direct patient communication not only enhances the understanding of specialized knowledge but also fosters trust and quality and, therefore, has a direct impact on customer retention. Categories were defined for each group to allow for further structured empirical work on the topic.

The study was designed as a single case study and conducted at the GZO AG regional hospital in Wetzikon, where various requirements for the management team, nursing staff, and patients were identified. It was noted that direct communication with patients can be considered a decisive success factor.