Lunch symposium: Patients and clients with high and multiple social and health care use: real-world effectiveness, interventions and indicators  

Wednesday 12 November, 12:55 – 13:55 (Helsinki time) 

Organised by:

PALVA consortium, Wellbeing Services County of North Savo, Finland

Background

One of the key aims of the social and health care reform in Finland was to implement seamless care processes, especially for patients who use a lot of social and health care services (Finnish Government 2023). These individuals are often clients of both primary and specialized health care as well as also social care. One of the key goals of social and health care integration was to ensure the quality of care and services, eliminate duplication of work, and develop service packages and service chains. Patient-oriented, easily accessible, and timely support enables the implementation of seamless service chains and prevents falling outside the service network, especially for customers who need a lot of social and health services. Finally, to contain the costs of health care and society at large, efforts should be made to strengthen primary health care, especially preventive services, and their effectiveness.

Relevance

• There are many illnesses or other reasons that explain the need for the service itself, but there may also be poor adherence to treatment and a lack of social support.
• There is often a broad need for services in health and social services and in other welfare services. For example, loneliness, insecurity, homelessness or unemployment can be the underlying reasons for the client's frequent emergency room visits.
• There is a clear need for coordination of care and services for those who need a lot of services.
• Patients whose treatment processes are successful as expected have a lower risk of complications from their diseases and have lower overall costs from treatment than patients with poor treatment balance and follow-up.

Urgency of the problem

• Based on national registry data, patients with multiple illnesses, and especially those at high risk, who account for approximately 15% of patients, cause a significant burden on health care and also account for most healthcare costs (over 60%).
• Multiple illnesses are often caused by diseases and conditions that could be prevented with good preventive advice and treatment such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and musculoskeletal diseases.
• Many studies show that treatment is not implemented according to treatment recommendations for all clients and continuity is lacking in many situations.

Format

• Quality and effectiveness of care for patient groups with multiple illnesses and high service use
• Multidisciplinary interventions and care operating models in client groups with multiple need of services
• Development of effectiveness indicators for social services among those with multiple need of services

Programme

• Introduction: Who are the patients and clients with high and multiple service use?
  Professor Tomi Mäki-Opas - Wellbeing Services County of North Savo, University of Eastern Finland, Finland, PALVA consortium
  
  
• Regional electronic health records as a valuable tool for assessing the real-world effectiveness of health services among patients with high service use
  Professor Tiina Laatikainen - Wellbeing Services County of North Karelia (Siunsote), University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio   
  Katja Wikström - Wellbeing Services County of North Karelia (Siunsote), Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL), Finland

• Experiences and challenges evaluating the multidisciplinary intervention among clients with multiple use of services
  Professor Aini Pehkonen - University of Eastern Finland & Wellbeing Services County of North Savo, Kuopio 
  Anna-Sofia Holappa - Wellbeing Services County of North Savo
  Juhani Merilehto - Wellbeing Services County at Central Finland
  
  
• 3X10D life situation instrument as an effectiveness indicator among clients with multiple use of services
  Sakari Kainulainen - Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Finland
  
  
• Comments and questions from the audience

Acknowledgements

PALVA consortium (Palva-tutkimushanke - Pohjois-Savo) is funded by Next Generation EU (2023-2025).

Registration not required

Registration is not required. Delegates who are registered for the main EPH Conference can attend free of charge. Get your lunch in the Exhibiton / Catering Area, walk in and join the session.