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Europe: Finland

National ehealth objectives work inline with EU policies

Finland’s National Health Roadmap for the European Union’s eHealth Action Plan, called–for at the end of 2006 along with all other member states, presents a continuation of the country’s work and national strategies started in the 1990’s and outlines how, in the future, these will work in co–operation with partners at the European level.

The national objective for Finland is to secure access to information for those involved in care, regardless of time or place. To achieve this, there has been a comprehensive digitalisation of patient data with advanced electronic patient record systems, the electronic signature and the maintenance of information that supports decision–making on the internet.

Another major aim is to involve citizens and patients, to increase people’s access to information and to ensure that health information is of a high quality. Measures have included the development of a health information portal for citizens, the provision of access for people to their own patient/health records and log information.

The Finnish approach emphasises data security and data protection, and to develop these systems in a way that can be sustained in an ethical and juridical point of view. It is expected that the demand for European co–operation will increase in the next few years and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health says it will work to ensure that adequate resources are available for this.

For further information visit the Finland Ministry of Social Affairs and Health website at: www.stm.fi.

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