Malmberg M1, Kaari S1, Hämäläinen H1
1Helsinki University Hospital, Internal Medicine and Rehabilitation, Helsinki, Finland
Background: Digitalisation is one of the factors transforming health care systems globally. In Finland, we have already experienced improvements in health care processes and quality of service through implementation of electronic health records, interorganisational data exchange and telemedicine services.
The five Finnish university hospital districts carried out the Virtual Hospital 2.0 -project in 2016-2018 as part of the health and social services reform aiming to develop public specialised medical care services. The project was partly funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. In the field of rehabilitation, the development was focused on decreasing fragmentation of the current rehabilitation system.
Purpose: The purpose was to plan and execute nationally cohesive digital self-care and rehabilitation services for specialised medical care, to construct a national development network in the field of rehabilitation, and to create a common model for digital rehabilitation service development.
Methods: It was essential to include a comprehensive network of professionals, customers and other national stakeholders throughout the development process; from planning to production. A national steering committee guided the project, and named contact persons maintained network communication. Professionals, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers, patients and patient organisation representatives participated in work groups and workshops. Work groups proceeded in a process-based manner and service design tools were utilised in the workshops. The project work was part of professionals' work related development of operative processes.
Results: Instructions, guidance, web courses and digital care paths were produced to Rehabilitation Hub web portal (www.kuntoutumistalo.fi) to support rehabilitation and life-style counselling. Material included topics such as information concerning rehabilitation, self-care guides for persons with spinal cord injury, web course for giving up smoking before an operation, and assistive aid information for professionals.
During the project the national interorganisational network transformed into a developmental cooperation network. The network assisted in creating the developmental model, in formulating a workbook to support working group performance, and in drafting a national approval process for published material.
Conclusion(s): A multiprofessional network together with patients can develop digital rehabilitation services with public funding, when a model for development has been created and process is guided by set of structures.
The developmental model supports the continuum of service development beyond the project life cycle and after the external funding has ended. In the future, the benefits of the project and the usability of digital rehabilitation services will be evaluated as part of service development.
Implications: Material and digital services, which have been produced by the national cooperation network, standardise patient education and rehabilitation services in specialised medical care. Patients have better opportunities to be active agents in their own rehabilitation process.
The development and implementation of digital care paths and patient education material is changing physiotherapists' job description and it will require new knowledge from physiotherapists. Future work is conducted in various networks together with patients.
Keywords: Digitalisation, specialised medical care, rehabilitation
Funding acknowledgements: The project was funded by the Ministry of Social Services and Health and the five Finnish university hospitals.
The five Finnish university hospital districts carried out the Virtual Hospital 2.0 -project in 2016-2018 as part of the health and social services reform aiming to develop public specialised medical care services. The project was partly funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. In the field of rehabilitation, the development was focused on decreasing fragmentation of the current rehabilitation system.
Purpose: The purpose was to plan and execute nationally cohesive digital self-care and rehabilitation services for specialised medical care, to construct a national development network in the field of rehabilitation, and to create a common model for digital rehabilitation service development.
Methods: It was essential to include a comprehensive network of professionals, customers and other national stakeholders throughout the development process; from planning to production. A national steering committee guided the project, and named contact persons maintained network communication. Professionals, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers, patients and patient organisation representatives participated in work groups and workshops. Work groups proceeded in a process-based manner and service design tools were utilised in the workshops. The project work was part of professionals' work related development of operative processes.
Results: Instructions, guidance, web courses and digital care paths were produced to Rehabilitation Hub web portal (www.kuntoutumistalo.fi) to support rehabilitation and life-style counselling. Material included topics such as information concerning rehabilitation, self-care guides for persons with spinal cord injury, web course for giving up smoking before an operation, and assistive aid information for professionals.
During the project the national interorganisational network transformed into a developmental cooperation network. The network assisted in creating the developmental model, in formulating a workbook to support working group performance, and in drafting a national approval process for published material.
Conclusion(s): A multiprofessional network together with patients can develop digital rehabilitation services with public funding, when a model for development has been created and process is guided by set of structures.
The developmental model supports the continuum of service development beyond the project life cycle and after the external funding has ended. In the future, the benefits of the project and the usability of digital rehabilitation services will be evaluated as part of service development.
Implications: Material and digital services, which have been produced by the national cooperation network, standardise patient education and rehabilitation services in specialised medical care. Patients have better opportunities to be active agents in their own rehabilitation process.
The development and implementation of digital care paths and patient education material is changing physiotherapists' job description and it will require new knowledge from physiotherapists. Future work is conducted in various networks together with patients.
Keywords: Digitalisation, specialised medical care, rehabilitation
Funding acknowledgements: The project was funded by the Ministry of Social Services and Health and the five Finnish university hospitals.
Topic: Robotics & technology; Service delivery/emerging roles
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: N/A
Ethics committee: N/A
Reason not required: The work depicts a new and innovative development process, and it did not present any risk of harm for participants' health or well-being. The development work did not involve any medical interventions.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
