OUR EVENTS

We conduct and support top-class events that generate a needed dialogue between various interdisciplinary perspectives at the intersection between communication science and health -- particularly if that dialogue tackles "hot topics" and current challenges related to mental or physical health, well-being, and patient safety. We look forward to seeing you there!

UPCOMING EVENT:

SRI LANKA’S LOST WISDOM: FINDING CONNECTION & HEALING IN A DIVIDED WORLD

A Cultural Dialogue with Venerable Bhante Sujatha & Prof. Annegret Hannawa

28 MAY 2025, 17:00-18:30 IN AULA MAGNA

Admission: Free and Open to the Public

In a time marked by increasing social division, digital overwhelm, and rising tensions in public discourse, the Faculty of Communication, Culture & Society at USI invites you to a profound cultural evening delving into the timeless wisdom of Sri Lanka.

In an open and inspiring dialogue, Venerable Bhante Sujatha, the internationally renowned “Loving Kindness Monk”, and Prof. Annegret Hannawa of the Faculty of Communication, Culture & Society – also Director of the Center for the Advancement of Quality and Safety in Healthcare – will explore the value of mindful communication in an increasingly polarized world.

Together, they will show how mindfulness in dealing with our emotions and our language not only strengthens personal well-being, but also promotes social cohesion and supports mental resilience. Drawing on Buddhist traditions and current challenges, this dialogue invites participants to reflect on peaceful coexistence, emotional awareness, and the power of loving-kindness.

Following the discussion, all attendees are warmly invited to a an apéro reception, offering space for encounters, reflection, and intercultural exchange – designed to be open, inclusive, and welcoming to all.

Goals and Themes:

Intercultural exchange – Meeting Sri Lanka in the heart of Lugano.
Mental health & resilience – Drawing strength from the Buddhist wisdom of the “Loving Kindness Monk” to find stability in a hectic, digitally driven world.
Social resilience through mindful communication – Contributing to peaceful coexistence and greater social harmony.

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Time: 17:00 – 18:30 (followed by an apéro)
Location: Aula Magna, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)
Admission: Free and open to the public

VIEW OUR LAST EVENT:

PANEL DISCUSSION: "SAFE COMMUNICATION IN HEALTHCARE"

15 MAY 2018, 18:00-20:30 in Aula magna

UNIVERSITà DELLA SVIZZERA ITALIANA (USI), lugano, switzerland

Patient safety events cause great suffering for patients and their families, as well as significant costs for the healthcare system. Each year, 43 million patients are harmed by adverse events. Of these, 2/3 would be avoidable, mostly via safer interpersonal communication.

Patient associations, nurses, physicians, scientists, payers and health politicians have recognized how much health potential lies in safer care provision. That's why patient safety has become a central issue on the political agenda. Politicians have strengthened patients' rights and introduced tools such as the medication plan. Payers have established investigative units that focus on corruption as well as preventable treatment errors for recourse claims. Liability insurers check more precisely in which cases they have to adhere and where they can avoid liability.

Medicine has tried to make healthcare safer with many initiatives. So far, these efforts have only yielded moderate success. Still, every 10th patient is injured and 7 patients die at Swiss hospitals every day because of a medical error. Two thirds of these injuried could be prevented if care participants would engage in safer interpersonal communication.

On 15 May 2018, the CAHQS hosted a top-class panel discussion on this important topic. The event created a dialogue to strengthen care participants’ interpersonal communication: A patient, doctor, pharmacologist, nurse, scientist and a politician sat together on a public stage and exchanged their perspectives on this topic, which is on the forefront of public health policy and will become increasingly important in the years to come: How can safer interpersonal communication reduce preventable patient harm and healthcare expenditures? The dialogue highlighted the importance of a safe communication culture that will sustainably strengthen healthcare processes by the means of a safer "cooperation" among the care participants, in a context where care provision will become increasingly digitized.

All stakeholders attended the event: Patients, care companions, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, hospital directors, quality managers and healthcare decision-makers gathered in USI's Aula Magna to find out how a safer dialogue can lastingly improve the safety of their care experiences.

Panelists:

Sir Liam Donaldson, WHO Envoy for Patient Safety; Chancellor, Newcastle University, United Kingdom

Prof. Dr. Annegret Hannawa, Director, Center for the Advancement of Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety (CAHQS), Faculty of Communication Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)

Dr. med. Kai Schnabel, Head of Department for Education and Media, Institute of Medical Education, University of Bern

Yvonne Willems-Cavalli, Chief Nursing Officer, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC); Co-President, Swiss Nurse Leaders Association

Dr. med. Marco Egbring, Head of Department, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital of Zurich (USZ)

Dr. med. Yvonne Gilli, Executive board of the Swiss Medical Association (FMH), responsible for digitization and eHealth

James Titcombe, Father of a Patient Victim, and Specialist at Patient Safety Learning, United Kingdom