The canton of Vaud commits over CHF 200 million to next-generation digital patient record

The canton of Vaud has submitted a financing request exceeding CHF 200 million to its Grand Council to implement a new integrated digital patient record system (DPI VD) shared by Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and eleven hospitals of the Fédération des hôpitaux vaudois (FHV). The move marks one of the most significant hospital IT investments in Western Switzerland in recent years.

The total investment amounts to CHF 207.6 million. It includes CHF 104.5 million for CHUV, a state guarantee of up to CHF 53.1 million for FHV institutions, and an additional CHF 50 million to fund a transversal project team under the canton’s “Hôpital numérique” initiative.

The project responds to an urgent need. The current system, Soarian, deployed from 2008, will no longer be supported after 2027 following Oracle’s announcement to discontinue maintenance. The canton opted not for a like-for-like replacement, but for a fully integrated platform covering clinical documentation and related tools currently spread across multiple systems. In November 2025, the contract was awarded to US-based Epic Systems, subject to parliamentary approval.

According to the cantonal government, the new system is expected to improve care coordination, reduce duplicate data entry and examinations, and enhance patient safety. Efficiency gains are estimated at up to CHF 49.5 million annually from the eighth year of operation, with a projected return on investment over fifteen years.

The initiative aligns with Switzerland’s broader DigiSanté strategy, which aims to modernize healthcare data infrastructure nationwide by 2032. In parallel, the canton has emphasized data sovereignty, requiring Swiss-based hosting, reinforced cybersecurity measures, and dedicated governance structures to ensure compliance and long-term control over sensitive health data.