The sociopolitical discourse on health data sharing in Switzerland: lessons learned from 1992 to 2023 for present public trust building – a multi-method study

The sociopolitical discourse on health data sharing in Switzerland is mainly framed by past and present negative narratives on the EPD, compounded by national and international scandals. It is recommended to centralise coordination at the federal level and to foster stakeholder collaboration. To build and maintain public trust, comprehensive public engagement strategies and user-friendly solutions that offer citizens autonomy are needed. Also, careful narrative management is essential. Healthcare professionals should be actively involved in the development and policymaking process from the outset and provided with financial support to facilitate their digital transition. Considering the promising health data sharing initiatives under the DigiSanté programme, adopting these recommendations is essential to avoid delays, negative narratives and further erosion of public trust in Switzerland's health data sharing initiatives.