This study examines the communication challenges faced by public health organizations in Switzerland during the COVID-19 pandemic. It pinpoints the primary obstacles and enabling factors that influence successful information exchange both internally and between these organizations. During 2021, qualitative online semi-structured interviews were performed to capture the perspectives and firsthand accounts of officials from Swiss public health bodies. The resulting interview transcripts underwent inductive thematic analysis to uncover the core themes.
The principal enablers of successful communication included adaptability, allocated resources, newly established procedures, collaborative coordination, and lessons learned from prior experience. Communication between institutions was strengthened by well-defined procedures, attentive listening, intermediary support, and solid professional connections. The obstacles largely corresponded to these elements, including conflicts over roles, ambiguous duties, and insufficient resources. Variations between cantons as well as between different tiers of government — notably the federal level and the cantons — repeatedly obstructed effective dialogue. Improving communication readiness for future public health emergencies requires adopting standardized protocols, implementing more centralized frameworks, and addressing cultural and language-related divides. Sustained training programs, together with the integration of diverse viewpoints, remain crucial for fostering effective internal and inter-institutional communication in Switzerland and beyond.
