Finland has gained recognition for its progressive stance on incorporating technology into healthcare. Due to high public trust, it has long had an established system for secondary use of data.

Finland has achieved great success in digital transformation, as demonstrated by its top ranking in the EU's Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) which summarises indicators on Europe’s digital performance and tracks the progress of EU countries.

This ranking reflects a highly digitized society where people possess digital literacy and have access to a robust digital infrastructure.

Since the 1960s, Finland has stored data in various registers with accompanying legislation and oversight by public authorities. This has enabled the provision of digital services and significantly improved the daily life of citizens. As explained by Päivi Sillanaukee, the trust built through this process has led to increased demands for digitized health services and the establishment of a registration system for the secondary use of data, highlighting the importance of trust-building for a digital future and the adoption of new technologies.

The role of the government

The Finnish government plays a prominent role in implementing digitalization in healthcare. It also understands the need for cross-sectoral collaboration. Social care and healthcare are combined under one ministry. But the ministry for foreign affairs for example also created a healthcare-specific position.

Päivi Sillanaukee is a Special Envoy for Health and Wellbeing at the Ministry for Social Affairs and Health but for years, she was  Ambassador for Health at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “It was before Covid when the previous ministry for foreign trade and development had an idea of having six different thematic ambassadors,“ Päivi Sillanaukee explains. The rationale for healthcare inclusion was that social and health services are part of the ecosystems where new technology solutions are developed. “I had a possibility then to advocate inside the Ministry of Foreign affairs what kind of impact health has on policies, help export the know-how we have in Finland, and build collaboration between countries.”

Secondary use of data in Finland… and beyond

A special authority called Findata is in charge of the secondary use of health and social data. The anonymized data has so far been used for research, including adding genomic information to enhance cohort analysis.

The data is also used for the development of personalized care, knowledge management, and educational purposes. Access is not limited to national inquiries, entities, and companies from abroad often reach out to Findata for collaboration. But there is a caveat. “To be able to get access to this anonymized data Findata has been collecting, the research or development project should have some kind of impact on population health. So that is important that population health benefits from that kind of research. Then we are willing to give that information,” says Päivi Sillanaukee.

The happiest country in the world

Since 2002, the World Happiness Report has used statistical analysis to determine the world's happiest countries. Finland has often been ranked Nr. 1. What makes it different? The general feeling of safety in the system, says Päivi Sillanaukee. “I think we were named the happiest country sixth time in a row. One reason for that is that people in Finland actually can trust that if something happens to them, such as falling ill, having mental health problems, burnout, divorce or unemployment, they will get help. We pay high taxes, but we then get back benefits and there is that trust that the society will be there and there will be help. We have universal health coverage, everyone here in Finland has the right to get social and health services that they need.”

Finland has a digital health infrastructure that goes beyond basic patient access to information. The Finnish Health Village project is aimed at bringing social and healthcare services within everyone's reach. It includes a digital village where people can access information, have discussions, and receive personalized help and care.

Where can Finland improve?

Finland still has room for improvement, particularly in collaboration and learning from other countries' solutions. Finland can improve by enhancing collaboration between the private and public sectors in order to scale up solutions and export them internationally. There is also a need for updated regulations regarding health data and technology, ensuring both security and innovation. Finland advocates for these improvements at local, regional, and global levels.

This is just an excerpt. Tune in for the full discussion.

Topics covered:

• Discussion about the Finnish ecosystem and its strong presence in the international community.

• Role of Cross-Sectoral Collaboration in Healthcare

• Paivi's role as the Thematic Ambassador for Health and Well-being at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Collaboration between countries to share knowledge and data for secondary purposes.

• Introduction to Finland's Findata authority and the ability to use data for secondary purposes.

• Interest from other countries in learning from Finland's data sharing and collaboration solutions.

• Examples of research and solutions that have emerged from Finland's system organization with FinData and secondary use of data.

• Accessibility of FinData for research groups and entities from abroad.

• Importance of data for knowledge management and understanding the health of regional populations.

• Benefits of utilizing data for steering purposes in the health system and for educational purposes.

• Discussion on legislation for the use of genomic data and the importance of open public discussions.

• Building trust in society through data collection and legislation to support digital transformation and future technology use.

• Description of the project to bring social and healthcare services within everyone's reach.

• Availability of information and health professionals in the digital village for discussions and anonymous support.

• Personalized help and care pathway based on individual needs and questions.

• Challenges in developing solutions and regulations for technologies like AI and sensitive health data.

• Importance of understanding technology capabilities and facilitating private-public sector cooperation.

• Advocacy for secure and safe environments for individuals in the digital health space.