Older adults are at an elevated risk of adverse health effects associated with social isolation and loneliness. Social participation is considered a modifiable determinant of health and well-being and has been proposed as a means to reduce this risk. However, there is limited knowledge to date about patterns of social activities among older adults. Using two waves of the Swiss Household Panel, a latent class analysis is performed to obtain discrete social participation profiles of adults aged 60 and older. Descriptive statistics and regression methods are used to study group compositions and estimate associations with self-assessed health, negative and positive affect, and life satisfaction. Once individual time-constant characteristics are controlled for, the majority of the positive associations between social participation and health or well-being found in the pooled data becomes small and insignificant, which is indicative of self-selection into different activity profiles. The role of self-selection into social participation implies that the design of interventions targeting social participation in the older adult population should be tailored to their heterogeneous needs and preferences.

Background Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is a key strategy for improving health and social care. Health scientists, an emerging professional group with a system perspective on health care, could help advance collaborative practice. The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of first-year health sciences students with a newly introduced course on interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaboration, and to explore their views and perspectives on collaborative practice. Methods The course was implemented at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland, in Spring 2022, and covered the current evidence and challenges of IPC, tasks and competencies of various health professionals, and real-world interprofessional projects. We conducted seven individual interviews and one focus group discussion with health sciences students who attended the course. To analyze the data, a hybrid approach of thematic analysis was applied. Results The analysis resulted in three main themes: (1) key lessons from the course, (2) health sciences as a professional field, and (3) the role of health scientists in interprofessional teams. Students were open-minded and considered collaborative practice a highly relevant topic. They emphasized the multifaceted course program, the variety of different professional perspectives, and the practical experiences of the interprofessional faculty. The interviewees described health sciences as a broad and flexible field with a holistic approach that could potentially complement the expertise of specialists, and envisioned their role in facilitating the collaboration between different health professions as well as across health care sectors. Conclusions Our results provide first insights into the potential roles and tasks of health scientists in interprofessional teams from the student perspective. Their broad and interdisciplinary perspective could help facilitate IPC at the individual, institutional and system levels, thereby potentially improving health care.

Background In Switzerland the use of in-home care services has increased steadily in recent years. Contributing to this trend are a growing aging population and changing family structures. In-home care services are embedded in complex financing systems, which require considerable efforts and capacities to navigate, and if not well understood, can lead to inefficient usage of healthcare services. The aim of this study is to assess information seeking behavior and knowledge on in-home care services in the Swiss general population. Methods Data comes from a cross-sectional online survey, using a representative sample from Switzerland (N = 1050), conducted in September 2018. The survey included items on information seeking behavior (sources, difficulties seeking information), as well as general and financial knowledge on in-home care services. Results 50.1% had sought information on in-home care services at least once. Logistic regression shows that age (β=.01, p<.005) and gender are significant predictors for information seeking, with women being more likely to have sought information (β=.26, p<.05). Those with highest education are less likely to have sought information (β=-.55, p<.05). About 1/4 of participants indicate having had some difficulty when seeking information, including being worried about the quality of information. 84.8% indicate to have at least some knowledge about in-home care financing. Whereas the majority is relatively well informed on the financing of in-home care services, such as “acute and transitional care”, participants have overall relatively little knowledge on additional financing mechanisms, such as supplemental benefits. Multiple regression shows that age significantly predicts financial knowledge (β=.04, p<.001). Conclusions The study shows that knowledge gaps exist, which may hinder effective and efficient use of in-home care services, as well as a potential lack of available and clear information to make appropriate decisions on services. Key messages Important knowledge gaps on in-home care services exist in Switzerland. The study indicates a potential lack of available and easy-to-understand information on in-home care services in Switzerland.