How Finland’s Digital Health Village is redefining healthcare delivery
Launched in 2016, Finland’s Digital Health Village represents a pioneering digital service platform within the healthcare and social welfare sectors. This platform integrates digital care pathways with expert information online, designed to alleviate pressure on traditional healthcare infrastructures and improve service delivery. The initiative has not only met but surpassed its expectations, notably by enabling healthcare workers to allocate time to additional patients each day, thus enhancing operational efficiency.
Globally, healthcare systems face challenges such as ageing populations, increasing demand for services, workforce shortages, lengthening treatment queues, and financial constraints. In 2023, the Finnish government allocated over EUR 20 billion to its 21 wellbeing services counties, a substantial portion of the national budget, highlighting the growing financial demands on healthcare and social welfare. The Southern Finland healthcare system alone employs around 60,000 professionals, with the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) managing a significant workforce of 27,500. In 2023, HUS provided specialist medical care and emergency services to more than 690,000 patients, underlining the critical need for efficient service delivery mechanisms.
The Digital Health Village, developed through the national Virtual Hospital 2.0 project coordinated by HUS, serves as a central piece in Finland’s strategy to modernise healthcare. This cloud-based service was designed from the start to consolidate expertise, offer updated information, and improve patient care both digitally and locally. It includes over 30 specific hubs catering to various patient groups, featuring dependable expert information on different health conditions. The platform’s My Path service offers digital care pathways on referral, open-access self-care programs, and remote consultation capabilities. HealthVillagePRO, another integral component, provides clinical guidelines and online courses for healthcare professionals to foster skill development and the adoption of innovative work practices.
Matti Bergendahl, CEO of HUS, highlighted the transformative effect of this digital overhaul, noting that rethinking patient needs and service delivery has been crucial. The establishment of the Digital Health Village as a cloud-based platform from its inception has been particularly advantageous, allowing for cost-effective, secure, and scalable development.
The impact of this digital transition is significant, saving healthcare professionals up to 26 minutes per day, thereby freeing up time to treat additional one to two patients daily. This efficiency gain, derived from expert interviews and external impact analysis, translates to annual savings of more than EUR 42 million for Southern Finland’s healthcare system. Moreover, the broader societal benefits, such as enhanced treatment quality, reduced wait times, and economic savings due to decreased patient travel and income loss, contribute to an estimated EUR 689 million in annual savings for the region.
The platform’s user satisfaction rates are also notable, with up to 69% of users reporting improved quality of life. The frequency of service usage correlates with greater perceived benefits, underscoring the value of regular interaction with the digital platform.
Looking forward, the integration of AI and large language models is set to further personalise and enhance the Digital Health Village. Current applications include AI-driven chatbot features, and future possibilities involve leveraging AI for multilingual translation capabilities. Sirpa Arvonen, Digital Manager at HUS, is enthusiastic about the potential to improve information flow by enabling both patients and professionals to access digital resources in their preferred languages, thereby making communication more effective and inclusive.