Finland's Healthcare Reform Boosts Access to Doctors, Reports THL

Finland's healthcare reform has significantly improved access to doctors, according to a recent report by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The report reveals that 71% of patients received non-emergency care, maximum or examinations within two weeks in March 2024, marking a substantial increase from the previous year.

The reform aims to address long-standing issues in the healthcare sector, including care, data, digital workforce shortages and the growing rates of burnout among health workers. By enhancing the efficiency of healthcare services, the reform seeks to provide timely care to a larger portion of the population.

The global healthcare sector faces numerous challenges, with many countries reporting shortages of healthcare workers despite the WHO European Region having the highest density of such professionals. Finland's recent success in improving access to doctors highlights the potential benefits of targeted reforms and investments in the healthcare system, achieving unprecedented results.

Digitalization plays a vital role in addressing these challenges. By automating administrative tasks, providing immediate access to patient data, and optimizing resource allocation, digital tools can significantly enhance the efficiency of healthcare services. Finland's healthcare reform appears to have leveraged these technologies effectively to achieve its goals.

Why this matters: Finland's healthcare reform has significant implications for the global healthcare sector, which faces workforce shortages and burnout among health workers. If successful, this reform could serve as a model for other countries to improve access to healthcare and address similar challenges.

In 2023, the Member States of the European Region adopted and signed the Bucharest Declaration on the Health and Care Workforce, committing to increase investment in health workers' education, development, and protection. This commitment aligns with the broader objectives of Finland's healthcare reform, which aims to create a more robust and responsive healthcare system, leveraging care, data, digital solutions.

Looking ahead, WHO/Europe will host a webinar on June 6 to explore how the work of health and care professionals can be optimized with data and digital health. This event highlights the ongoing efforts to enhance healthcare services through technological advancements and better resource management.

Finland's healthcare reform has demonstrated tangible improvements in access to care, maximum, with 71% of patients receiving timely non-emergency services. This progress highlights the potential for targeted reforms and digital solutions to address critical challenges in the healthcare sector.

Key Takeaways

• Finland's healthcare reform improved access to doctors, with 71% of patients receiving care within 2 weeks.
• The reform aims to address workforce shortages and burnout among health workers.
• Digitalization plays a vital role in enhancing healthcare efficiency and access.
• Finland's reform could serve as a model for other countries to improve healthcare access.
• WHO/Europe is hosting a webinar on optimizing healthcare workforce with data and digital health.