Lucerne, 3 September 2026
Public Health and the Beauty of Complexity
Public health experts from academia, the professional field and politics spent two days exploring the topic of complexity. They examined questions such as how complexity gives rise to innovative approaches for practice and what policy measures can be derived from it.
Over 440 participants gathered at the University of Lucerne for this year’s Swiss Public Health Conference – a new attendance record. Under the title ‘Public Health and the Beauty of Complexity’, the field of public health – which operates at the interface between science, society and politics – was examined in an interdisciplinary manner and from various perspectives. The question of how the insights gained can be translated into concrete measures, political decisions and innovative approaches that deliver a measurable benefit to the health of the population was a constant consideration throughout. Alongside academic presentations and interdisciplinary discussions, the conference highlighted five key questions that are shaping the current discourse on public health.
What constitutes knowledge in the field of public health?
The first panel session explored the question of what constitutes knowledge in the field of public health. Different types of knowledge – such as academic knowledge and experiential knowledge – coexist, which poses a challenge for social discourse. This is further complicated by the fact that ‘a good story beats even the hardest facts’, as science journalist Katrin Zöfel put it. However, this also presents an opportunity: if public health experts engage with stories and are open to them, a dialogue on an equal footing can emerge. Christoph Rehmann-Sutter, former President of the National Ethics Commission for Human Medicine, is convinced that when it comes to topics such as death, illness and health, everyone has a story to tell and a say in the matter. Rehmann-Sutter is convinced, however, that merely explaining academic knowledge is not enough: ‘The audience hears quantitative messages within their own subjective context and fills them with their own meaning.’ This discrepancy between the contextual meaning derived from experiential knowledge and academic knowledge plays an important role in the field of public health. It is therefore crucial for a shared understanding that, in future, we do a better job of incorporating experiential knowledge into the scientific context.
The lived experience of health
The second session focused on the lived experience of health. Illness is more than just symptoms: it affects identity, functional capacity and the search for meaning. The panel included three experts as well as Mark J. Moser, who works as a lecturer and lives with a chronic illness. The discussion quickly turned to the issue of (a lack of) trust: Beat Müller, a doctor and head of palliative care at Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, teaches his medical students that the ear is a doctor’s most important instrument – in other words, listening carefully. However, although doctors attach great importance to attentive listening, studies show that many patients perceive doctors as being preoccupied during consultations, as Saskia De Gani, head of the Centre for Health Literacy at Careum, pointed out. The discussion therefore also centred on the question of how society’s trust in the healthcare system can be rebuilt. Absolute transparency is not necessarily the solution: ‘From a social perspective, secrets are necessary,’ explained Stéphane Cullati, a researcher and epidemiologist at the University of Fribourg. Language is also crucial to restoring trust between patients and the medical profession, as it shapes reality. ‘So much of the language used in relation to health is violent,’ pointed out Mark Moser: ‘For example, we talk about “fighting” cancer. But I do not fight my illness. I live with it.’
Interprofessionality as a practice of human recognition
The third session, which took place on the second day of the conference, examined new care models using the ‘Central Switzerland Health Cluster’ as an example and, drawing on a real-life case study, clearly demonstrated how collaboration across professional boundaries can succeed. In particular, the transition from hospital to home poses a major challenge. The wider support network must also be closely involved. One conclusion that emerges is that interprofessional collaboration takes time – and this is where the system reaches its limits. New roles, such as those of case managers or advanced practice nurses, are therefore of great importance in enabling efficient coordination and ensuring that high-quality healthcare is delivered at the interfaces between a wide variety of professional groups. Furthermore, issues surrounding funding remain unresolved. Further discussion is needed on how collaboration across professional boundaries can be successful and on the implications of mutual recognition of different forms of expertise.
The allure of simplicity: why flawed health information persists
The fourth session was led by PhD students from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at the University of Lucerne, who shared the chair. The session explored the question of why information that is scientifically incorrect or incomplete nevertheless proves so persuasive so often. Why are simple health messages particularly appealing and why do they stick? Often, within a complex system, only a single indicator is considered and highlighted. This then sticks in people’s minds, yet is usually a simplified version of a more complex reality. Examples of such health tips included the recommendation to walk 10,000 steps a day, as well as the popular practice of ‘detoxing’. The messages associated with these sound simple and can be measured or put into practice relatively easily. However, such recommendations often fall short and fail to take the individual’s specific circumstances into account. Not every simplified message is problematic in itself: The crucial factor is whether following the recommendation would be harmful, as Marcel Zwahlen, Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Bern, explains. Whilst this is not the case with the 10,000-step recommendation, when it comes to ‘detoxing’, eating more fruit and vegetables would be the right choice from a health perspective. Finally, the key question arose as to how experts and institutions can convey complex issues in a way that is understandable, truthful and of high quality, so that the message sticks. Various strategies were discussed to this end, such as adopting an appealing principle embedded in a health myth. The key here is to understand the underlying reason why this particular health myth appears so appealing: this could, for example, be the fulfilment of a need for control or a clear call to action.
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Public Health
The final panel session examined issues surrounding artificial intelligence and its role in public health. What happens when machines help determine who is at particular risk to their health? Experts from the fields of ethics, data science, public health and industry discussed the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in prevention and healthcare. So-called ‘digital health literacy’ is central for all stakeholders, i.e. both patients and healthcare professionals.
The ‘Cardio Alert’ feature on the Apple Watch was presented as a case study; this alerts the user if abnormalities are detected in their heart rate. How should one respond? It is not only the wearer of the Apple Watch who needs to know how to deal with this, but healthcare professionals must also be able to interpret an alert from the Apple Watch. In this respect, there is still much work to be done on both sides. The discussion also centred on the need for industry-independent platforms. The current market concentration hinders both innovation and research, as the latter absolutely requires data to be accessible. AI presents new challenges for everyone in the healthcare sector. There is still much to learn in this area. Finally, an optimistic vision was outlined: In the best-case scenario, artificial intelligence can save the doctor or the healthcare professional in charge time, namely when the patient arrives having undergone the correct preliminary assessments via AI. Healthcare professionals could then focus entirely on the individual – in all their uniqueness, complexity and personal history.
An inspiring exchange and a boat trip on Lake Lucerne
In addition to these five panel sessions, the Swiss Public Health Conference offered participants an extremely varied and inspiring programme, featuring numerous parallel sessions, workshops, poster presentations, the presentation of awards for the best PhD abstracts, the SPHD Award presented by the Swiss Public Health Doctors, and the Best Poster Award presented by the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+). The opening address on the second day was delivered by Michaela Tschuor, a member of the cantonal government of the host canton of Lucerne, who explored the theme of ‘complexity’ from various angles. A particular highlight for the participants who had travelled to the event was the evening boat trip, complete with dinner, on Lake Lucerne, during which Lucerne showed itself at its most beautiful at sunset against an impressive backdrop.