[Medicine and Law: an Introduction - Part 1]

The development of Swiss medical law is closely linked to social and medical development. In the early days and in the Middle Ages, healers and monasteries shaped medical care, with canon law playing an important role. In the early modern period, the first regional regulations for the medical profession emerged. With the founding of the federal state in 1848, the modernisation of medical law began; important laws such as the Factory Act (1877) and the first Health Insurance Act (1911) were introduced. In the 20th century, the introduction of the AHV/IV (1948) and the Health Insurance Act (KVG, 1996) marked the beginning of further professionalisation. Medical law is currently being adapted to meet modern ethical and legal challenges through laws such as the Human Research Act (2014) and remains a dynamic field.