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Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) is a computer modelling technique that simulates the behaviour and interactions of autonomous agents within a virtual environment. Applied to health equity, this technique allows for a better understanding of the complex social and economic determinants that contribute to health inequities and enables the evaluation of the potential effects of public policies on the latter. Despite some limitations related to the accessibility and quality of health data and the complexity of the models, ABM appears to be a promising tool in the field of health equity, both for researchers in public or community health and for policy makers., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

The theme of health equity was for a long time absent or little addressed in the pre- and postgraduate teaching programs of universities and training university hospitals in Switzerland. This gap has gradually been filled by the development and provision of structured teaching on health equity, adapted to the needs of their target audiences. This article aims to highlight a selection of teachings that have emerged in recent years in the French-speaking part of Switzerland., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

In June 2021, the Swiss parliament accepted a legislative proposal calling for the introduction of a fee to fight emergency department (ED) overcrowding. Although this issue remains a major challenge for health policies, the introduction of such a fee raises many questions, notably regarding health equity. However, other more equitable solutions exist: improving the case management of ED frequent users and improving coordination between ED and primary care., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

The COVID-19 pandemic underlines how vulnerable our societies are to health and economic shocks. It reveals and exacerbates existing inequalities in terms of health status, income, or employment. In Switzerland, as well as globally, most socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals are also the most exposed and vulnerable to the virus, both at work and in their homes. Our aim is to describe the mechanisms through which the pandemic has disproportionally affected some groups of the population. We are particularly interested in the concentration of health and economic risks in specific households and in the public policies implemented to fight the pandemic on the health front while attempting to reduce its economic impact., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.

Economists traditionally describe individuals as well-informed and rational decision-makers. Recent developments in behavioural economics, which lies at the intersection between psychology and economics, challenge these assumptions and describe the common cognitive biases that affect us all. The resulting decision errors are particularly frequent in health and health care given the predominance of uncertainty and the complexity of choices. Interventions aiming at correcting, or exploiting, these biases to improve decisions of citizens, patients, and health professionals have recently emerged. We present here a critical synthesis of findings and discuss potential applications in our health system., Competing Interests: Les auteurs n’ont déclaré aucun conflit d’intérêts en relation avec cet article.