Well-being solutions

Considerable saving targets have been set for social welfare and healthcare spending, while the need for services is growing due to an ageing population, and healthcare staff are already stretched to the limit. During the Covid-19 pandemic, health data was used extensively, including at the highest levels of decision-making. This also highlighted the need to improve the quality of data and accessibility of health data across European borders.

Better use of data is one of the tools that can maintain and even improve the quality of social welfare and health services while saving society money. In the health sector, in particular, the potential of data has long been understood. Finland is already well advanced in this area and is seen as a pioneer internationally. In the European Union, a single market for data is being developed with a common European Health Data Space (EHDS), which aims to facilitate the secure use of health data in patient treatment, research and product development.

Rapid technological development is a challenge even for pioneers. AI, for example, requires bold changes, and in some cases the dismantling of existing solutions, in order to increase work profitability and further the transition towards preventive well-being services. The sector’s capacity to innovate and experiment boldly needs to be strengthened.

The Well-being solutions programme supports the social welfare and health sector as a driver and accelerator of change. The programme follows on from our previous projects promoting health data, such as Health data 2030 and the related EU-funded TEHDAS joint action, which was coordinated by Sitra. The programme draws heavily on the Isaacus project, from which Findata emerged, and the IHAN project, which developed the tools and approach for a fair data economy.

We are coordinating the Second joint action Towards the European Health Data Space (TEHDAS2), which supports the harmonised implementation of the EHDS, focusing on the secondary use of health data for research, innovation and policymaking. The project builds on the earlier TEHDAS joint action. EU member states selected Sitra to coordinate the follow-up project and its communications. TEHDAS2 started in May 2024.

Together with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, we are coordinating the VALO project funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers to use the EHDS in Nordic co-operation and to test data models for data use in practice. The project started in February 2024.

European well-being is being built in co-operation with a wide range of international stakeholders. In addition to the public and third sector, the programme involves companies as well as research and development organisations in Finland and other European countries. It also includes the National Initiatives Network, an international initiative for the secondary use of social welfare and healthcare data, which Sitra has been steering for a long time.