The Digital Transformation of Healthcare
Sweden is a country of early adopters and a pioneer in the digital transformation of healthcare. Digital solutions present new opportunities for a more effective, patient centered and high-qualitative healthcare. These include among others AI supported electronic medical records, patient centered devices for monitoring and treatment and platforms for digital consultations. What part will you play?
The Challenge
A brave new digital (health) world
Healthcare costs are predicted to increase in many countries due to an ageing population, increase of chronic diseases, medical advances and rising expectations from the population.
Digital solutions in telemedicine, HealthTech and welfare-related e-health technologies all present new opportunities for a more effective, cost-efficient and high-quality healthcare. They open new pathways to healthcare, strengthening of patients, and improved access to care. New technology enables citizens to better monitor their health, take preventive measures, and control of their health situation. Data and AI can be utilised to develop precision medicine.
To implement such solutions, adjustments in healthcare must be made, such as new ways of working, meeting patients, interacting with other staff groups and integrating research.
Swedish Excellence
New demands and technology pave the way for transformation
Sweden is a country of early adopters and a pioneer in the digital transformation of healthcare. Prescriptions and medical record systems are electronic. Appointments and consultation are increasingly online. The Swedish Vision 2025 for eHealth states that Sweden will be best in the world at using the opportunities offered by digitisation and eHealth to make it easier for people to achieve good and equal health and welfare, and to develop and strengthen their own resources for increased independence and participation in the life of society. Digital solutions to help streamline healthcare and empower patients and healthcare staff are being rolled out continuously. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly propelled this development that was already well underway.
Sweden is a force in health tech
Swedish companies offer electronic medical records combined with AI decision support. Digital health providers and platform developers for both primary and specialist care are making great advances in export markets. Other examples include apps for prevention, risk assessment, diagnostics to rehab and chronic disease management and systems for individual care planning. For healthcare staff, systems for decision support, administration, care planning contribute to more efficiency and higher quality. This also includes mobile/remote versions for nurses in home care or for easier access in the hospital wards. Solutions for integrated care can both involve the patient and collect data for hospital management or levels above that, for planning care in the system and for research.
Next week
Swedish Delegation visits Berlin, April 8-10
Swecare, in collaboration with Swedish Medtech, Sahlgrenska Science Park, the German-Swedish Chamber of Commerce, the Embassy of Sweden in Berlin and Business Sweden, will come to Berlin with a Swedish delegation, to participate at DMEA eHealth expo, hold meetings and mingle with public and private stakeholders in German healthcare, with a focus on digital health.
Get to know the delegation
Quiz
Quiz
Is Sweden one of EU’s top innovators?
True. Sweden continues to be one of the EU Innovation Leaders, followed by Finland, the Netherlands, and Belgium, all with innovation performance well above the EU average. Denmark is the new top innovator with the best performance in the EU, overtaking Sweden after a few years in leading position.
In 2050: 459 million persons will be 80 or over?
True. By 2050: the world will have an estimated 459 million persons aged 80 or more, almost triple the number in 2021 at around 155 million.
Are 90% of all prescriptions in Sweden digital?
False. In fact, 99% of all prescriptions in Sweden are digital.
Did the number of digital health care consultations double in 2020 in Sweden?
True. eHealth is an integrated part of the healthcare sector in Sweden. According to The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, the number of digital health care consultations doubled in 2020, from 1.2 million to 2.4 million, representing 11 percent of total medical appointments in 2020.
Publications
Latest publications and Swedish actors within this area
Vision for eHealth 2025 by Sweden
The Government and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions want to support efforts to make use of the opportunities of digitisation in social services and health care and have now decided to endorse a common vision for eHealth up to 2025. For more information visit, www.ehalsa2025.se
Vision for eHealth 2025
1177 Vårdguiden – national healthcare portal
Healthcare guide 1177 is Sweden's national hub for advice, information, inspiration and e-services for health and healthcare. You can read about diseases, treatments, rules and rights. Here, you can also find and compare health clinics and patient fees and use e-services to contact the healthcare services, request, cancel, or reschedule appointments or refill prescriptions. All of the content on the healthcare guide 1177 is quality assured together with experts from healthcare throughout Sweden.
The healthcare guide 1177.se
Nordic White Paper: Smart Digital Health
This white paper presents some of the smart digital health solutions developed and implemented in the Nordic countries. While these solutions cover a wide range of diseases, they have much in common: they help patients monitor and manage their own conditions; they improve treatment and diagnostics; and they facilitate cooperation, shared information, and shared decision-making between patients and healthcare professionals. The white paper is made by the following project partners: Business Finland, Swecare, Innovation Norway, Promote Iceland and Healthcare DENMARK. Published in 2019.
Nordic White Paper: Smart Digital Health
Strongholds and Qualities of the Nordic Health Tech Ecosystem
An analysis of positions of strengths of Nordic health tech companies. This report assembles a knowledge base for the Nordic Welfare Solutions project, and gives an overview of the core qualities and strongholds of the Nordic health tech ecosystem, concentrating exclusively on health tech solutions outside of the pharmaceutical industry. The white paper is made by the following project partners: Business Finland, Swecare, Innovation Norway, Promote Iceland and Healthcare DENMARK. Published in 2018.
Strongholds and Qualities of the Nordic Health Tech Ecosystem
Case
Vision for eHealth 2025
The Government and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions want to support efforts to make use of the opportunities of digitisation in social services and health care and have now decided to endorse a common vision for eHealth up to 2025. For more information visit, www.ehalsa2025.se
