Instead of hyping AI, Finnish public healthcare should focus on digitizing the basics

Finnish public healthcare is undergoing significant structural and operational changes, with many wellbeing areas facing cost-saving pressures while the population is ageing. There’s a shortage of doctors and nurses, and the healthcare system cannot rely solely on cuts or new technologies like artificial intelligence. Instead, we need actions that increase efficiency and productivity in a patient-centred manner, says our Sales Executive, Petri Anttila, in his opinion piece in Finnish healthcare magazine Mediuutiset.

In his opinion piece, Anttila discusses how there’s room for improvement in the use of facilities since many treatment rooms are empty for large parts of the time. He highlights how efficiency and productivity can be increased through digital solutions and optimized use of facilities. Successful examples in Finland show that by utilizing digital solutions to allocate treatment rooms based on data and patient needs can improve utilization rates from 30% up to as much as 80%. Digital solutions can also streamline work-planning for healthcare professionals, freeing up more time for patient care and service development.

Anttila stresses how involving healthcare professionals in these projects is essential for effective implementation. He concludes that the wellbeing areas don’t want more time-consuming systems, but solutions that reduce manual work, and that the goal should be to leave healthcare professionals with more time for patient care, improving workplace wellbeing and enhancing the overall quality of patient care.

Explore the full opinion piece in Mediuutiset for a closer look at Anttila’s insights on the digitalization of the healthcare sector.