Switzerland National OT News Archive

News from Switzerland, October 2012

Age-appropriate project “health promotion and prevention” for aging people:
The project aims are:
• Awareness of occupational therapists for the potential of this field of work throughout Switzerland
• Promoting the development of content and organization of this field of workIn 2012, the emphasis was placed on the following topics:
• Broad access to the topic “Prevention and Health Promotion”
• Use of synergies and discover gaps for activities
• Establish and maintain a network with other professional groups, organizations, etc.German Project “TATKRAFT”:
The DVE (german NA) leads a project “TATKRAFT – Healthy age by occupation”, a project on health promotion for older people. Two colleagues from Switzerland participated in a workshop to introduce the “TATKRAFT Programm”. They will participate in the evaluation of the associated manuals and possibly also in the implementation of the program.

Profile for OT with MSc:
We are in a broad discussion about possible future roles of occupational therapists with master’s degrees. The EVS maintains an intensive exchange with the three colleges of Switzerland, which form occupational therapists as well as other associations of health professionals. The aim is to integrate the Master of Science in the Health Professions Act and to give OTs with master’s degree a position in the discussions of new care models.

New Flyer about OT
At this year’s OT-day appears the new EVS Flyer “remain ability to act – Occupational therapy for injuries and diseases of the upper extremity”, more flyers will follow shortly.

Claudia Galli, Iris Lüscher, Andrea Petrig


News from Switzerland, April 2012

Switzerland is currently working on a health profession Act, which is to regulate the health professionals trained at university level: nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, midwifery, and nutrition and dietetics. Contents of the Health Professions Act will be the professional’s license to practice, registration, and possibly a mandatory concerning the further education/ the Master’s level. The exact contents are still under discussion. The EVS has a seat on the advisory group GesBG.

New collaboration between EVS and the board of representatives of all three institutions for occupational therapy in Switzerland (zhaw Zurich-Winterthur, HES-SO Lausanne and SUPSI Lugano): an exchange on “The future of occupational therapy”. The aim of this exciting collaboration is promote and shape together the development of training/education and practice in OT in Switzerland in the professional and political context.

new adress of EVS:
ErgotherapeutInnen-Verband Schweiz, Altenbergstrasse 29, Postfach 686, CH-3000 Bern 8


News from Switzerland, September 2011

Since May 2011 our NA and theresfore the Swiss OTs have a new short definition for Occupational Therapy: ”Occupational therapy focusses on the human capacity to perform occupations. OT contributes to the individual’s improvement of health and enhancement of quality of life. It enables persons to participate in activities of daily life as well as in society.”

„Ergotherapie stellt die Handlungsfähigkeit des Menschen in den Mittelpunkt. Sie trägt zur Verbesserung der Gesundheit und zur Steigerung der Lebensqualität bei. Sie befähigt Menschen, an den Aktivitäten des täglichen Lebens und an der Gesellschaft teilzuhaben.“

The data collection of quality was done this year for the third time as it is a component of the collective agreement with the insurances (EVS/SRK/santésuisse).This year for the first time it was possible for all OTs to do this online. As Assessment we use the Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS).

Health promotion and prevention for elderly people in Switzerland:
A project group engaged intensively in this topic. The goal was to evaluate the situation in Switzerland and based on a demand analysis make proposals for the further procedure. Now a new project group will continue this work on the proposals. It will concern among other things the araise of awarness for this field of activity and the development of concrete products, which can support OTs in Switzerland, specially those who would like to enter into this field of profession.

The EVS” code of profession” was approved after a broad consultation by the EVS conference of delegates in May 2011. You can find it on www.ergotherapie.ch for download pdf.

Six years after the first national OT-congress in June 17th and 18th we had the third Swiss OT congress under the topic: ”Acting. Designing. Living: Occupational Therapy”. More than 80 speakers and 360 participants made it a successful and special happening!

The EVS has a seat in the national working group for the new national law of health professions.

Actualy the EVS board is in the process of the detailed elaboration of the strategy 2012 to 2016.


News from Switzerland, Spring 2011

– The workday on the future of occupational therapy organized by the ZHAW school and the EVS took place at the end of 2010. The day confirmed the outline and actual strategy orientation of EVS and the developments of occupational therapy in general in Switzerland.

– The swiss project on Goal Phrasing organized by all high schools in Switzerland and with EVS as partner and information supplier has begun last summer and is now under way.

– Our Political Policy Department has been active to its limits, due to the political efforts in Switzerland to lower the health costs.

– A new health system in hospitals based on Diagnosed Related Groups (DRG’s) is in preparation for year 2012. EVS is trying to influence the description and number of entries for occupational therapy in the indication list.

– The Delegate Assembly will be held on the 21st of May in Bellinzona.

– Our Swiss congress, held every 4 years, will take place on the 17th and 18th of June in Olten. You will find all the news and inscription forms on the website under www.ergotherapie.ch  We are looking forward to meet you there!


News from Switzerland, Autumn 2010

– The new EVS/ASE website has been functioning since May. You are all invited to visit it!

– The next EVS/ASE congress in Switzerland will take place on the 17th and 18th of June 2011

The mottos are: «Être actif, vivre en santé : Ergothérapie» in french and “Handeln. Gestalten. Leben: Ergotherapie.» in German. You are all invited to participate, it will be an interesting event featuring new directions for the profession in both french and german

– Project Goal phrasing  by Swiss OT’s – EVS/ASE and the 3 Swiss national OT schools are partners for the first time in this national research project starting now

– A new project group has been launched: “Ageing appropriate health promotion and prevention for people in their second half of life”