Superior customer value through integrated care
The core of our strategy is to always offer fluent, caring and effective integrated care to our customers. We develop digital solutions that ensure a smooth everyday life for our professionals, the best care outcomes for our customers and help address the care gap in the industry. With our integrated care model, we aim to achieve both a positive social impact and high profitability.
Terveystalo plays a key role in the renewal of healthcare in Finland, the prevention of illnesses and the promotion of people’s well-being. The company provides private healthcare services in Finland and occupational health services in Sweden through its subsidiary Feelgood. In 2024, Terveystalo had a total of 1.2 (1.2) million customers, 7.6 (7.6) million customer visits in Finland, and in total more than 1.7 (1.8) million end-customers of occupational health services in the Nordic countries. Terveystalo’s digital channels have over 2.6 million registered users in Finland.
The most significant positive sustainability impact of Terveystalo’s operations arises from providing fluent, caring and effective integrated care to customers, which is also the core of Terveystalo’s business strategy. According to Terveystalo's strategy, integrated care means that Terveystalo understands customers and their needs, prevents and manages health risks, guides the customer to the right service and treatment, takes care of the patient throughout the care path, cooperates as teams of experts, and measures and improves the outcomes of care.
According to Terveystalo's strategy, the integrated care model aims for a positive social impact, which can be reflected in the effective prevention of illnesses, quick access to care, fluent care paths and good outcomes of care, among other things. High-quality occupational healthcare that is based on integrated care is effective when it promotes the health, work ability and well-being of employees effectively and with measurable results. Effectiveness is reflected in, for example, reduced sickness absences, improved work ability and productivity, as well as increased well-being at work, which reduces early retirement and saves costs for client companies. Terveystalo’s digital services speed up access to care and smooth integrated care paths ensure effective and timely care. Cooperation and partnerships with the public sector provide solutions for improving access to care.
Patient safety is the foundation of the quality of care. It ensures the safety of care and protects the patient from injury. From the patient’s perspective, patient safety means that they receive the right treatment at the right time and in the right manner. Compromised patient safety may cause an adverse event for a customer and, in the case of serious adverse events, make the company liable for damages.
Data protection with regard to patient data is an important aspect of patient safety. As digital services in healthcare increase in importance and reshape the industry, the requirements concerning data protection and information security increase accordingly. Everyone working at Terveystalo and on behalf of Terveystalo must ensure the protection of privacy and the realisation of data protection in all activities involving the processing of patient information. Compromised information security or data protection may cause restrictions on operations imposed by the public authorities, financial sanctions, claims for damages and other financial losses, which would have an adverse impact on Terveystalo's financial performance.
Quality is managed at all levels and implemented in everyone’s work
The goal of Terveystalo's quality efforts is to ensure access to services, patient safety, an excellent and continuously improving customer experience, the realisation of data protection and information security, compliance with recommendations and clinical practice guidelines, and developing the effectiveness of treatment. Terveystalo’s quality is monitored and measured at many levels. The results of operations are reviewed regularly, and development areas are identified and necessary changes made based on them. Terveystalo’s quality efforts are based on a quality management system that meets the requirements of the international ISO 9001 quality management system standard. Terveystalo has set goals for its quality efforts that exceed the requirements of the standard. Quality is managed as part of management structures at all organisational levels, from senior management to the day-to-day work of teams and individuals.
Everyone at Terveystalo is responsible for implementing and ensuring patient safety and high-quality care. In addition to the quality management system, operations are guided by several other requirements and binding obligations, which are documented in Terveystalo’s integrated management system. The quality management system and the integrated management system are tools used by everyone at Terveystalo to ensure that their actions comply with the applicable requirements and produce the desired outcomes. Terveystalo’s policies (self-assessment plan, operating policy, quality policy, internal control and risk management policy, Code of Conduct, data protection and information security policy and environmental policy) guide operations in addition to common processes, guidelines, operational procedure rules and standards. Policies and procedures pertaining to the data protection of patient data are documented in the company's Data Protection Handbook for patient care. The Current Care Guidelines and the legislation and regulatory obligations applicable to the industry and the operations of private service providers, as well as customer agreements, are also key requirements implemented in operations that Terveystalo complies with. The company’s policies are in line with, or exceed, the internationally recognised norms related to end-users and pertaining to business and human rights, such as the UN Guiding Principles.
In accordance with Terveystalo’s human rights policy, the company is committed to respecting human rights in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Terveystalo is also committed to the international human rights framework (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, the abolition of child labour, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, a safe and healthy working environment). Should any activities have the potential to affect vulnerable groups, Terveystalo also takes into account other international norms and principles, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
During the reporting period, Terveystalo was not made aware of any incidents related to end-users of services that involved non-compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
The following paragraphs describe the key policies and procedures that guide operations with regard to access to care and the quality and effectiveness of care, as well as the customer experience, patient data protection and information security.
Terveystalo’s Code of Conduct and internal control and risk management policy are described in section G1 – Business conduct on pages 97–99 of the sustainability statement.
Targets for quality and effectiveness of care
Terveystalo has defined three key targets to promote the achievement of Terveystalo’s quality objectives. Two of the targets – the NPS for appointments and the referral rate for brief mental health psychotherapy – are also included in the sustainability-linked financing framework published in 2023.
Effective treatment for mental health problems
Mental health problems are among the three most common diagnosis categories at Terveystalo, and they are a significant cause of human suffering and related sickness absences and early retirement in Finland. The implementation of correct and effective treatment for mental health problems is one of the focus areas of Terveystalo’s medical strategy. Patients receiving brief psychotherapy treatment have been found to recover faster than those given only sickness absence and/or medication. Those who receive brief psychotherapy treatment also have fewer sick days. Terveystalo’s aim is to increase the use of brief psychotherapy in occupational healthcare in the treatment of people diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders. When more and more people receive care at an early stage, resources are freed up for long-term rehabilitative psychotherapy for those who need it due to the severity of their condition. Terveystalo has systematically developed mental health care paths and increased the proportion of patients referred to brief psychotherapy.
Terveystalo’s target is to increase the proportion of people diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders who receive a referral to brief psychotherapy in occupational healthcare to 25 percent by 2026. This is an ambitious target, as the number of people suffering from depression or anxiety increases every year. Reaching the target will require the continued development of processes and the training and recruitment of professionals, among other measures.
Terveystalo’s Fokus Mieli special unit monitors progress towards the target and supports its achievement by means of training and communications. Terveystalo’s Fokus Mieli special unit provides specialist services in the fields of psychology, neuropsychology, psychiatry, psychotherapy, substance abuse medicine and sex therapy. The unit assesses, supports and manages mental health by providing services to occupational health, organisations, communities and private customers regardless of age, also via remote channels.
In 2023, Terveystalo deployed a reporting tool that the physicians in charge of each Terveystalo unit can use to examine the progress towards the target in their area of responsibility and compare the results with those of similar units.
In 2024, the proportion of occupational health patients referred to brief psychotherapy was 14.8 (10.8) percent of all occupational health patients diagnosed with anxiety or depression. The result for 2024 was in line with the target.
Excellent customer experience
Terveystalo strives to stand out by offering fluent and effective healthcare services that convey a feeling of caring to the customer. NPS (Net Promoter Score) is Terveystalo’s most important indicator of the quality of the customer experience. Terveystalo develops its services by listening to its customers, streamlining processes from both the customer’s and the professional’s perspective, and by utilising new technology. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures the individual customer’s experience of the service they receive. NPS is closely linked to customer loyalty: a satisfied customer is less likely to switch to a competitor and is more committed to the company they use and the services it offers. NPS expresses the willingness to recommend, i.e. how likely the customers are to recommend Terveystalo’s services to others. NPS is a sensitive indicator – it reacts quickly to patient satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The customer experience can be influenced, for example, by the availability of appointments, the perceived quality of care, interaction with a professional or other personnel, or the feeling of being heard.
Terveystalo’s NPS target is 83 for appointments and 95 for hospitals. In 2024, the NPS for appointments was 87.7 (84.8) and the NPS for hospitals was 96.2 (94.5), which were in line with the targets.
Effective care at every visit
Terveystalo aims to provide its patients with the most effective care. The company measures the appointment-specific effectiveness of care with the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI). PEI measures the customer’s perception of coping with their illness or condition after an appointment, i.e. whether the customer feels that they are able to cope with their symptom or illness much better, better, same as before, or worse after the appointment (on a scale of 1–4). PEI is commonly used in Finnish primary healthcare. Terveystalo’s target for the PEI index is at least 71 percent. In 2024, the PEI index was 69 (66) percent. In other words, approximately 69 percent of Terveystalo’s customers felt that they are able to cope better or much better with their illness after the appointment.
|
Target |
Metric (KPI) |
Scope |
Target level |
Target year |
Base year |
2024 |
2023 |
2022 |
|
Increase the share of occupational healthcare patients diagnosed with anxiety or depression and who are referred to brief psychotherapy to 25% by 2026 |
The share of occupational healthcare patients diagnosed with anxiety or depression and who are referred to brief psychotherapy |
Occupational health customers in Finland |
25% |
2026 |
2022 |
14.8% |
10.8% |
8.5% |
|
Maintain a customer satisfaction score of 83 at a minimum |
NPS (Net Promoter Score) for appointments |
Terveystalo’s customer appointments in Finland |
At least 83 |
Continuous |
2022 |
87.7 |
84.8 |
82.7 |
|
For hospitals, maintain a customer satisfaction score of 95 at a minimum |
NPS (Net Promoter Score) for hospitals |
Customers who visited Terveystalo’s hospitals in Finland |
At least 95 |
Continuous |
2022 |
96.2 |
94.5 |
95.3 |
|
PEI index of 71 percent at a minimum |
PEI index (Patient Enablement Instrument) |
Customers who have had an appointment with a physician in healthcare services |
At least 71% |
2026 |
2024 |
69% |
66% |
- |
Policies
In Finland, pursuant to the Act on the Supervision of Social Welfare and Health Care (741/2023), the service provider must supervise the quality and appropriateness of its own operations and those of its subcontractors, as well as customer and patient safety. Service organisers and service providers that provide services at more than one service unit are required to draw up a self-assessment plan in electronic format regarding the tasks and services they are responsible for, and publish the self-assessment plan in a public information network or in another manner that promotes public access to the information in question. A service provider's self-assessment plan covers all of the service provider's service units. In order to ensure the quality, appropriateness and safety of daily operations and to monitor the adequacy of the personnel involved in customer and patient work, the service provider must draw up a self-assessment plan covering all the services provided in the service unit by and on behalf of the service provider.
The self-assessment plan must include a description of the procedure for reporting and learning of incidents. The service provider must draw up the self-assessment plan electronically and publish it in a public information network or in another manner that promotes public access to the self-assessment plan and keep the self-assessment plan publicly accessible at the service unit.
Pursuant to the Act on the Supervision of Social Welfare and Health Care Services, the implementation of the activities described in the service unit’s self-assessment plan must be monitored and any deficiencies observed in the course of monitoring must be rectified. A report must be prepared on the monitoring, and changes implemented as a result of the monitoring activities must be published at four-month intervals in a public information network or in another manner that promotes public access to the information in question, and the information must be kept publicly accessible at the service unit.
The self-assessment programme and observations made on the basis of the monitoring of the implementation of the self-assessment programme must be published at four-month intervals in a public information network or in another manner that promotes public access to the information in question.
Terveystalo adheres to a self-assessment plan drawn up in accordance with the guidelines of the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira). The self-assessment plan is supplemented by operating handbooks and process maps with related procedures and work instructions. The self-assessment plan defines how Terveystalo looks after clinical quality and patient safety in its operations. Each site must have defined practices for implementing the measures presented in the self-assessment plan.
Terveystalo’s self-assessment plan is drawn up by the persons in charge of each function and approved by the Chief Medical Officer. The implementation of the self-assessment plan is monitored in internal and external audits, for example.
Terveystalo publishes its self-assessment plan and programme on its website. The monitoring of the self-assessment plan is reviewed quarterly by the Group's Patient Safety Team and any changes are reported every four months when the self-assessment plan is updated.
Operating and quality policy
In all of its activities, Terveystalo is committed to the high quality and continuous development of its operations. Terveystalo’s quality efforts are guided by Terveystalo’s mission, values and strategy. Terveystalo’s strategic priorities, harmonised processes and measurability help steer operations toward consistent high quality. Terveystalo’s quality policy is approved by the Quality Steering Group, which is also responsible for monitoring its implementation.
Terveystalo’s quality policy serves as the foundation for quality targets and the development of processes to ensure quality management, and it describes Terveystalo’s commitment to high quality standards and the continuous improvement of operations. Quality efforts support Terveystalo’s mission, values and strategy.
The cornerstones of Terveystalo’s quality management system are patient safety and national legislation. It comprises clinical, operational and experienced quality. Terveystalo measures, monitors and manages its quality systematically and in a target-driven manner at all levels of the organisation.
Medical quality and effectiveness are measured extensively, and the results are utilised in management and development. Patient safety is a key part of medical quality. Its realisation is monitored, for example, by the number of procedure-specific and clinic-specific post-surgery infections, reported hazardous incidents, official requests for clarification, and the decisions of the Patient Insurance Centre.
The management and development of operational quality includes ensuring compliance with operating processes and instructions, risk management, the implementation of data protection and information security, and the promotion of environmental responsibility. These targets are achieved through audits and self-assessments.
Feedback from customers and professionals is used extensively in the management of experienced quality and effectiveness.
In 2024, quality management was streamlined and enhanced by harmonising management forums and reporting practices and by further specifying responsibilities.
We divide our quality-related work into four areas:
- Clinical quality
Health care must be based on evidence and good care and operating practices, and it must be high quality, safe and appropriately implemented. At Terveystalo, we actively monitor, measure and manage clinical quality. - Operational efficiency
Streamlined processes ensure the smart allocation of resources and the reliability of operations. All services provided by Terveystalo are based on our comprehensive and certified quality management system. Our customers can always trust the quality of our care, the smooth use of services, and the efficiency and safety of our services. In addition, we promote pleasant and efficient everyday life by developing our expertise and management. Our comprehensive network, digital tools and extensive service range constitute a platform for providing efficient, personal and local services for customers. - The customer’s experienced quality
The customer’s experience is always personal and develops through every encounter. It is important to us that customers receive the care they need without delay and they are encouraged to make choices that promote their well-being. Our objective is to be the preferred provider of healthcare services for all customer groups. - The professional’s experienced quality
We believe that satisfied employees provide a better customer experience in customer encounters, and so enhancing customer satisfaction. The realization of the strategy requires that we are able to attract qualified and motivated health care professionals to Terveystalo and retain them. This enables us to achieve clinical quality, superior service experienceand operational efficiency
As a key healthcare provider, Terveystalo plays a significant role in access to care at the national level, also in exceptional circumstances. The continuity plan defines and describes the organisation’s operating models for ensuring that Terveystalo’s critical services can be produced in exceptional circumstances and during disruptions. This, in turn, ensures access to medical services and the continuity of business. The goals of the continuity plan are to ensure the availability of critical services in medical care and customer safety, patient safety and occupational safety in exceptional circumstances, ensure that the organisation’s core functions operate with minimal disruptions, maintain the capacity to operate in exceptional circumstances and recover quickly from disturbances, prepare for threats and disruptions whose management requires close and extensive cooperation between various parties, and establish a clear picture of the key roles, responsibilities and tasks in continuity management, as well as the operating guidelines and instructions that ensure continuity. Continuity management is based on risk assessment and is part of Terveystalo’s management and reporting system. The management teams at Terveystalo’s various organisational levels are responsible for continuity management in accordance with the Group’s guidance.
The data protection policy sets out the principles, obligations, responsibilities, organisation, operating practices and monitoring practices that Terveystalo observes in the implementation and development of data protection. The data protection policy serves as the basis for data protection procedures and guidelines, and its purpose is to ensure the realisation of the rights and freedoms of Terveystalo’s customers, personnel and individual stakeholders with regard to personal data. The data protection policy sets out the principles and methods for ensuring the appropriate processing of personal data throughout the life-cycle of personal data; these principles and methods guide all activities at Terveystalo. It also ensures compliance with legislation governing privacy, data protection and other applicable special laws. The principles underpinning the policy are legal compliance and transparency, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, restriction of storage, integrity and confidentiality. All Terveystalo personnel must comply with the data protection policy. The data protection policy is confirmed by Terveystalo Group’s CEO and maintained by Terveystalo's Legal Affairs department. The policy is updated as necessary. In Sweden, Feelgood has its own data protection policy, which sets out the principles, obligations, responsibilities, organisation, operating practices and monitoring practices that Feelgood observes in the implementation and development of data protection.
In addition to the data protection policy, Terveystalo has a comprehensive data protection handbook for patient care. Its purpose is to provide guidance on the manner and criteria of processing patient data and personal data, the circumstances in which data can be disclosed, and to which parties data can be disclosed. The data protection handbook for patient care is intended particularly for use by Terveystalo professionals who work with patients. The handbook contains instructions on, among other things, the processing of patient data, informing patients and patient consent, the disclosure of patient data, the data subject's right of access, the rectification and erasure of patient record entries, log data requests, suspected misuse and data protection incidents, and the storage and destruction of patient records. The data protection handbook for patient care is approved by the Data Protection Officer and confirmed by the Chief Administrative Physician.
The objectives, responsibilities, and implementation methods of information security at Terveystalo are set out in the information security policy. The key objectives of the information security policy are the protection of personal data that is in Terveystalo’s possession (e.g. customer and patient data), as well as material subject to intellectual property rights and copyright, and ensuring their appropriate processing; compliance with obligations stipulated by laws, decrees, norms, official regulations and contracts; the identification of threats to Terveystalo’s operations and the appropriate management of information risks, and ensuring the reliability and cost-effectiveness of information processing. The information security policy is developed according to the observations made. The Chief Information Security Officer is in charge of the development efforts.
Terveystalo aims to provide an excellent customer experience across all of its service channels. Customer feedback provides valuable information for the development of operations and services, which aims to strengthen Terveystalo’s positive impacts on end-users. Terveystalo collects customer feedback systematically and provides several feedback channels, including the Terveystalo app, online forms, feedback forms at clinics, and oral and written feedback.
The customer experience and customer satisfaction are measured by means of a continuous Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey that is based on random sampling and text messages, as well as customer experience surveys aimed at corporate customers. The customer experience and customer satisfaction are also measured on a professional-specific basis after each appointment with a physician. The appointment-specific effectiveness of care is measured by the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI), which measures the customer’s perceived ability to cope with their illness or health status after the appointment. The NPS and the PEI index are key performance indicators for which measurable targets have been set. The targets are described on page 120 along with a more detailed explanation of the NPS and PEI calculation principles.
Terveystalo has a harmonised procedure and monitoring practices for processing customer feedback. Each clinic has a designated quality and patient safety officer who is in charge of processing feedback and ensures that feedback is carefully processed. Customers are always provided with a response if they request one. Customer feedback is regularly monitored and reported on, and used in internal and external quality audits to assess the measures taken and their impacts. Customer feedback is an important tool for developing operations and increasing customer satisfaction. The Executive Vice Presidents in charge of each business area are responsible for ensuring that customer feedback is taken into account in the monitoring, implementation and development of overall quality in their respective areas.
Terveystalo does not have a separate customer feedback process with regard to data protection or information security, but the end-user can provide feedback in the same way as for other services. Incident reports can be made regarding information security and data protection.
Terveystalo’s customers have access to several channels to raise concerns and report any deficiencies or adverse incidents related to the care or service they have received. A brief description of these channels and the processes for handling feedback or reports received through them is provided below.
Incident report
All Terveystalo employees have an obligation to submit an incident report if they observe an issue that jeopardises patient safety, customer safety or data protection. Incidents are classified as either near misses or hazardous incidents depending on the nature of the incident. In a near miss, an incident that jeopardises patient safety, customer safety or data protection nearly occurred, but the adverse incident was avoided either by chance or because the observed hazard was addressed. For example, if a patient was about to be given the wrong dose of medication but this was prevented by double-checking, the incident would be classified as a near miss.
A hazardous incident means that an incident that jeopardises a patient’s safety or data protection actually took place, such as when a patient is given the wrong dose of medication or a patient's sensitive information is disclosed to third parties. The notification is made by Terveystalo’s personnel using an electronic form. The patient, customer, relative or a family member, can also submit an incident report using the dedicated form available on Terveystalo’s website.
In the incident processing procedure, an e-mail alert is sent for each incident report to the clinic’s quality and patient safety officer, the feedback and incident handlers and the physician in charge of the clinic. The quality and patient safety officer and the feedback and incident handler are responsible for initiating the processing of the incident and coordinating the processing with the persons in charge of different functions. The physician in charge of the clinic is responsible for the medical assessment of the incident. The quality and patient safety officer and the feedback and incident handler ensure that a root cause analysis is carried out and corrective measures are taken. In 2024, the proportion of near-miss reports at Terveystalo was 54.1 (54.3) percent of incidents.
Patient ombudsperson
In healthcare and social services, patient ombudspersons and social services ombudspersons are appointed to ensure the rights and legal protection of patients and the clients of social services (Act on Patient Ombudspersons and Social Services Ombudspersons 739/2023). The legislation applies to the wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki and HUS Group. The wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki are responsible for patient ombudsperson and social services ombudsperson activities also when it comes to private service providers. If necessary, Terveystalo's customers can contact the patient ombudsperson of their wellbeing services county or the City of Helsinki for help or advice.
Objections in healthcare
A patient who is not satisfied with the healthcare or medical care or the related treatment received by him/her has the right to file an objection on the matter to the director responsible for healthcare in the healthcare unit in question (Act on the Status and Rights of Patients, Patient Act, 1992/785, section 10). If the patient is unable to file an objection themselves due to illness, incapacity or similar reason, or if they are deceased, the objection may also be filed by their legitimate representative, family member or other related party. The operational unit must adequately inform its patients of the right to object, and make it as convenient as possible for patients to file an objection. As a rule, objections should be filed in writing. However, an objection can also be submitted orally if there is a special reason for it. The operational unit must process the objection appropriately and provide a written response within a reasonable period of time after the objection has been filed. The response must be justified in the manner required by the nature of the case.
The response to an objection cannot be appealed. Filing an objection does not restrict the patient’s right to file a complaint about their care, or treatment related to their care, with the supervisory authorities for healthcare.
Complaints in healthcare
Anyone who is dissatisfied with their care, treatment or related procedures may file a complaint in accordance with Chapter 8a of the Administrative Procedure Act. Filing an objection does not prevent a person from filing a complaint. As a rule, complaints are filed with the Regional State Administrative Agency (AVI). Complaints can be filed with the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) only in special circumstances.
Notice of injury
The patient has the right to file a notice of injury with the Patient Insurance Centre (PIC) if there is a suspicion of patient injury or medical malpractice. In that case, the issue is investigated and resolved by the PIC. The patient ombudsperson for the wellbeing services county provides advice on filing a notice of injury. In 2024, Terveystalo's ratio of compensated patient injuries to the total number of appointments was 0.0005 (0.0016) percent.
Whistleblowing channel
Consumers and end-users can report ethics-related shortcomings or legal violations via Terveystalo’s whistleblowing channel (WhistleB).
Fluent, caring and effective integrated care to customers
The most significant positive sustainability impact of Terveystalo’s operations arises from providing fluent, caring and effective integrated care to customers, which is also the core of Terveystalo’s business strategy.
The goal of Terveystalo’s integrated care model is to seamlessly combine the different stages of care and create positive impacts on different customer groups. For the consumer customer, value is created by quick access to appropriate care, continuous support throughout the care path, and the best possible outcomes of care. For companies, value is created by reducing sickness absences and related costs through effective preventive measures and care paths. For insurance companies, value is created by efficient care paths that speed up recovery and thus reduce the total costs of the insurance event. For the public sector, value is created by cost-effective and high-quality partnership models for addressing bottlenecks in the healthcare system. Terveystalo evaluates the success of its care models from many different perspectives, including the experiences of patients and diagnosis-specific effectiveness indicators. In addition, quick access to care and an excellent customer experience are key quality criteria. Terveystalo continuously develops its services across the entire care path, including prevention, assessment of the need for care, appointments, diagnostics, day surgery and rehabilitation.
The medical strategy for healthcare services, which supports the Group’s business strategy and its implementation, sets out the most important measures and initiatives aimed at improving access to care and the quality and effectiveness of care, as well as the customer experience. Measures have been defined for all stages of the care path, and their implementation is monitored with the help of targets and indicators. In the Portfolio Businesses segment, the key focus area is the development of cooperation with Finland’s wellbeing services counties, which are primarily responsible for organising public healthcare and social welfare services.
Below are described some of the most significant planned measures, as well as the measures initiated or implemented in 2024, to promote positive impacts on Terveystalo’s customers.
From the beginning of 2024, Terveystalo’s occupational health customers in Finland gained access to Nightingale Health blood analyses as part of occupational health check-ups. The technology helps detect the risk of the most common chronic diseases, and Terveystalo's occupational health services can use it to help prevent diseases. Terveystalo looks after the health of approximately 730,000 Finns of working age and offers more and more people a view of their personal susceptibility to common chronic diseases and support for lifestyle changes.
Common chronic diseases reduce work ability and require continuous monitoring, but many of them are preventable. By the end of 2024, approximately 115,000 of Terveystalo's individual occupational healthcare customers had received a risk report based on a blood analysis.
In 2025, the aim is to particularly develop various interventions, such as digital lifestyle coaching, in order to reduce the risks of illness detected among customers. Monitoring will be used to ensure that the interventions actually reduce these risks.
In 2024, Terveystalo introduced a treatment model for chronic diseases for its occupational health customers in Finland. In the treatment model, the customer’s individual situation regarding the need for treatment of a long-term illness is assessed automatically and the customer is contacted if, based on the assessment, the treatment of the illness at Terveystalo does not appear to be implemented in accordance with the national Current Care Guidelines. Medical criteria have been applied to select the diseases covered by the treatment model. It covers chronic illnesses that are common among people of working age and which, when the balance of care is poor, cause the most health problems, affect coping and reduce work ability. The medical conditions covered by the model are type 2 diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. The treatment model aims to ensure that monitoring is carried out in the optimal manner and the progression of the disease and any resulting complications and work ability-related challenges are prevented. The plan for 2025 is to expand the model to include other chronic diseases and develop the automation of treatment plans.
In autumn 2023, Terveystalo’s occupational health customers in Finland were given access to the Symptom Assessment tool, a CE-marked medical device that makes the use of occupational health services smoother in the event of illness. The tool refers customers to the appropriate specialist and the right service channel in a timely manner. In 2024, the customer guidance model was further developed based on customer feedback in order to improve the service so that it meets the needs of customers and professionals even better. When an occupational health customer uses Terveystalo’s digital service channels, they are requested to describe their symptoms. The Symptom Assessment tool analyses the customer's responses and determines the urgency of the case. Based on this assessment, the customer is referred to the appropriate service channel and specialist. The results of the analysis are forwarded to the receiving specialist in advance, which speeds up the treatment process and makes the service smoother and more streamlined. The Symptom Assessment tool reduces the need for the customer to make their own assessments of whom to turn to. For example, a customer with musculoskeletal symptoms can be referred directly to an appointment with a physiotherapist instead of a physician. The system also distinguishes between cases in which care can be provided remotely and cases that require an in-person appointment.
The effectiveness and benefits of the Symptom Assessment tool are assessed by customer feedback, among other things; customers have given an average score of 4/5 for the ease of use of the tool.
Since 2021, Terveystalo has developed care paths based on the Current Care Guidelines and other generally accepted clinical practice guidelines. The aim of care paths is to ensure the consistency and effectiveness of care, support the work of healthcare professionals, promote the health of customers and ensure the implementation of diagnostics and monitoring.
Care paths serve as a tool for healthcare professionals. The patient information system provides them with alerts on treatment recommendations and follow-up measures based on the working diagnosis. They include suggested diagnostics, such as laboratory and imaging tests, and situations in which a specialist consultation or therapies such as brief psychotherapy or physiotherapy are recommended. The care paths also help the customer by providing clear instructions in the Terveystalo app on preparing for examinations, self-care and, if necessary, starting therapies. For the customer, the care paths enable clearer and smoother care and a better understanding of the course of care. For healthcare professionals, they provide tools that make their work easier, reduce the administrative burden and support decision-making.
Approximately 80 care paths were in use at the end of 2024. They included care paths related to the treatment of lower back pain, depression and anxiety, insomnia and paediatric lower respiratory tract infections, for example. The aim is to further develop the care paths in 2025 by, for example, automating the monitoring of the effectiveness of care and visualising the care process.
At Terveystalo, the development of patient safety is a key part of the quality of care and sustainable operations. Patient safety culture constitutes the foundation of these efforts. Its aim is to create an open and trust-based atmosphere in which employees can raise concerns and report incidents without fear of sanctions or blame. The systematic processing of concerns and incidents ensures that similar situations can be prevented in the future. The maintenance and development of patient safety culture is supported in various ways, including a mandatory online course on patient and customer safety. The course is included in orientation training for new employees and completing the course is mandatory for all employees in care work and personnel whose roles include responsibility for patient safety.
The development of patient safety is supported by a regular customer and patient safety culture survey, which provides valuable information on the current state of operations and areas requiring further development. The most recent survey was carried out in 2023. It was responded to by 1,293 professionals working with patients, 12 percent of whom were physicians. The results showed that Terveystalo’s patient safety culture is widely held in high regard. Awareness of incident reporting and notification systems had improved when compared to the previous years, and patient safety competence was rated as high. The results of the 2023 survey were thoroughly analysed by the Patient Safety Working Group, on the basis of which development areas were identified as priorities for the next two-year period. The impacts of the development measures will be assessed in the 2025 customer and patient safety culture survey, the results of which will again guide Terveystalo's strategic development efforts.
The Portfolio Businesses segment strengthens its connections to Finland’s wellbeing services counties through the new Health Partner organisation. Finland is divided into 21 wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki and HUS Group, which is the specialised healthcare provider in the Uusimaa region. The wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki and HUS Group are responsible for organising public healthcare and social welfare services. The wellbeing services counties started their operations at the beginning of 2023, but the building of their organisations and financial challenges have limited the opportunities for developing long-term strategic solutions and cooperation with private service providers. Terveystalo established the Health Partner organisation in autumn 2024 to focus on identifying and responding to the individual challenges of the wellbeing services counties. Health partnership includes staffing services, digital solutions for public services, rehabilitation, child welfare services and public partnerships, i.e. outsourcing. Of these, Terveystalo focuses particularly on three areas: digital services, ensuring the availability of personnel through staffing services and ensuring the availability of services by offering Terveystalo's service production capacity to the wellbeing services counties. Through more in-depth knowledge of their respective regions, Terveystalo also aims to develop new services that correspond to the needs of the wellbeing services counties.
The Finnish healthcare and social service system is facing major challenges: the population is ageing, the need for services is growing, and resources – both human and financial – are limited. The production of services must be even more efficient than before, and digitalisation is one of the key solutions to these challenges. Terveystalo’s digital platform enables professionals to make more efficient use of their time, which creates cost savings for the wellbeing services counties. Automation supports the continuity of care, increases efficiency, improves quality and enhances patient safety. Using a single integrated electronic service platform instead of multiple individual systems makes the use of services easier and clearer for patients. Terveystalo’s digital platform is already in use in four wellbeing services counties: Southwest Finland, Satakunta, South Ostrobothnia and Lapland.
Terveystalo’s personnel must comply with the data protection policy and everyone has a duty to process personal data appropriately and to highlight any observed deficiencies in data protection.
The parties responsible for the implementation and management of data protection are Group management, the directors responsible for specific functions, and unit directors in their respective areas of responsibility. As required by law, Terveystalo Group has a Data Protection Officer who performs duties in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and is responsible for statutory reporting directly to Group management. Terveystalo has data protection teams that discuss and monitor issues related to data protection and develop related functions and activities. The Data Protection Officer reports on data protection to the supervisor on a weekly basis and to Terveystalo’s Data Protection Team on a quarterly basis. Under the General Data Protection Regulation, the data protection requirements in Sweden are the same as in Finland, but the local legislation governing healthcare and social services in Sweden differs from Finland in certain respects. For this reason, in Sweden, Feelgood has its own data protection policy, which sets out the principles, obligations, responsibilities, organisation, operating practices and monitoring practices that Feelgood observes in the implementation and development of data protection. Feelgood has appointed its own Data Protection Officer to monitor compliance with data protection legislation at Feelgood.
Information security is an integral part of securing and developing Terveystalo’s operations as a whole. Everyone working at Terveystalo, or for Terveystalo, is responsible for ensuring information security at work. In addition to complying with any received instructions, everyone is also responsible for helping others to use working practices that ensure information security. The unit director is responsible for ensuring that each employee and private practitioner working at the unit is capable of taking information security into account at work and for ensuring that any observed deficiencies are rectified. The Chief Financial Officer is in charge of the management and development of information security. The Chief Information Security Officer appointed by the Chief Financial Officer is in charge of day-to-day information security management. The duties of the Chief Information Security Officer include the promotion of projects related to information security, the development of guidelines, advice and training, the specification of technical information security requirements, monitoring and reporting on the information security situation, and processing information security deviations in cooperation with the Data Protection Officer, the Group’s general administration and the business areas. The Chief Information Security Officer reports to the Executive Team member responsible for information security and digital services.
Data protection is closely linked to information security, and the realisation of data protection is contingent on information security measures. At Terveystalo, patient data is stored in information security certified patient information systems. Terveystalo’s patient information systems in Finland are category A systems in accordance with the regulations issued by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and they have undergone information security certification in accordance with the regulations related to the provision of Kanta services. Terveystalo currently has category A1 certified products without a Kanta interface. In addition, Terveystalo uses category A3 certified patient information systems from external suppliers that are connected to the Kanta system. Terveystalo’s data protection and information security is regularly audited in accordance with the ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system, both internally and by an external party. In Sweden, Feelgood uses a patient information system that is a national medical information system registered by the Swedish Medical Products Agency. Feelgood's data protection and information security is regularly audited in accordance with the ISO 27001:2013 certified information security management system, both internally and by an external party.
Terveystalo ensures the realisation of the legal rights of data subjects by informing the data subjects about the processing of personal data and by specifying operating models and instructions for the situations in which the data subjects wish to exercise the aforementioned rights. A legally compliant data protection notice and other documentation required by legislation or the authorities are prepared on the processing of personal data. As a rule, data subjects are informed of the processing of personal data in connection with the collection of personal data. Data subjects can read the data protection notice on the controllers’ websites and operating locations. Other additional information on the processing of personal data is available on the company’s website or in the service in question.
Terveystalo applies the appropriate physical, technical and administrative protection measures to protect data from misuse. These measures include, for example, control and filtering of network traffic, use of encryption techniques and secure data centres, appropriate access control, controlled granting of access rights and supervising their use, issuing instructions to and training personnel participating in personal data processing, and risk management related to the planning, implementation and maintenance of services. Terveystalo chooses its subcontractors carefully and uses agreements and other arrangements, such as written instructions, to ensure that they process data in compliance with the law and good data protection practices.
The Chief Information Security Officer is authorised and obligated to conduct assessments and audits related to information security. The Chief Information Security Officer is responsible for taking action to eliminate any identified information security threats and deviations, and reporting them to the authorities if necessary. Corrective actions are assessed on a risk basis and they include both technical and administrative measures. These measures include, for example, updating information security practices, increasing the organisation’s information security awareness, strengthening technological solutions and continuous risk management. Everyone working at Terveystalo has an obligation to report any observed information security deficiencies and problems to the information security organisation.
Terveystalo provides its personnel with training and instructions on the processing of personal data and emphasises the particular confidentiality and protection of patient data. An updated mandatory data protection course intended for everyone at Terveystalo was introduced in autumn 2023. In connection with this, the course content was revised and moved to a new online platform to improve the user experience. In 2024, a new online course was introduced for professionals whose work involves the disclosure of patient data. The purpose of the course is to provide training to Terveystalo professionals who disclose patient data on the rules and instructions concerning the disclosure of patient data. In addition to launching the new online course, Terveystalo organised four support workshops related to the disclosure of patient data during the year.