Terveystalo tackles long-term illnesses among working-age people - aiming for better work ability and health
According to a study* we commissioned in 2024, a significant proportion of Terveystalo's occupational health customers suffering from chronic long-term illnesses do not follow the national Good Care recommendations for treatment balance. Similar observations have been made this year by the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare, whose report** published by the Sydänrekisteri found serious shortcomings in the cholesterol monitoring of heart attack patients in various parts of Finland.
– If poorly managed, long-term illnesses can lead to serious health problems and also result in financial costs for both the employee and the employer. Analysing our own data, we found that in 2023, people with long-term illnesses had up to 50% more sick leave than the average for other staff***," says Silja Komulainen, Chief Medical Officer, Corporate & Public Health at Terveystalo.
Monitoring ensures a balance of care
In chronic long-term illnesses, monitoring of the disease is important, as symptoms and treatment guidelines can change over time.
– The aim of monitoring is to ensure that the treatment of a person with a long-term illness follows national treatment recommendations, which are based on research evidence to best minimise adverse effects and target organ damage associated with the disease. Balanced care can reduce the costs associated with sickness absence or poor work performance due to ill health, prevent disability due to long-term conditions and increase work productivity while promoting the health and well-being of staff," Komulainen continues.
More health and well-being through a new model for managing long-term illnesses
As part of Terveystalo's integrated care, in June we will launch a care model for long-term illnesses that aims to provide care in line with national Current Care recommendations. In practice, this means that the individual situation of our occupational health customers' staff regarding the need for treatment for long-term illnesses will be assessed automatically on the basis of their personal data and contacted if the assessment indicates that treatment does not seem to be in line with national recommendations, either at Terveystalo or, for example, in the public health care system.
The roll-out will take place in phases, with the first phase being an evaluation of the effectiveness of the care model with a few agreed occupational health clients, followed by a gradual roll-out during the autumn for all our occupational health clients whose occupational health contracts include chronic long-term illness care.
– When the model is launched, the assessment will focus on the three most important long-term conditions: hypertension, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, which, based on our own data, are the most common long-term conditions affecting the working-age population. There are also national up-to-date treatment recommendations for these diseases. I am excited that we will be able to systematically promote a good balance of care for key public diseases," says Komulainen.
* Study by Julia Tuuri: The extent of underdiagnosis and how to reduce it by digitally managing the work of general and occupational physicians in a private healthcare company, 2024
** THL: Heart Registry Report
*** In 2023, absence days for all occupational health clients of Terveystalo were 10.1 days/person, and even more than 14 days/person for people with long-term illnesses in selected organisations (n=365) based on automated extraction.
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