Artificial intelligence transforming healthcare landscape in Finland
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing healthcare in Finland, where companies benefit from a wealth of health data collected from citizens. These AI applications are also expected to alleviate the financial strains within the social and healthcare sectors.
The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has established a healthcare AI ecosystem aimed at fostering AI application development. A company based in Jyväskylä has created an AI-driven video analysis tool designed to aid safe training and rehabilitation for athletes. According to Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, AI has the potential to save hundreds of millions of euros in health expenditures.
The ecosystem brings together businesses, research institutions, and welfare regions to develop companies that can leverage health data to deliver services to these areas. One notable contributor is Nro One, which focuses on creating an AI program that analyzes movement patterns from video footage to ensure safe training for young athletes.
The health data utilized for AI development includes patient records, imaging, and laboratory results, with additional data generated by patients, such as heart rate or blood pressure readings. Researcher Sami Äyrämö, who has studied health data utilization for over a decade, recently took on a role at the University of Jyväskylä to help translate research findings into practical solutions that save time and money.
Researchers have already reported successes, including a collaboration between the university and a biobank that streamlined tissue sample analysis using AI, drastically reducing the time needed for pathology assessments.
With a strong foundation of health data collection in place, Finland is poised to lead the way in healthcare AI, despite current challenges in data privacy interpretation that require unified guidelines across welfare areas. Sitra anticipates significant market growth for companies developing health technology supported by AI.