The Central Finland Healthcare District (KSSHP) began to develop a fast track process for artificial joint replacement surgery after seeing the long durations of episodes demonstrated by NHG’s benchmarking results. By relying on the practices of international and Finnish hospitals, KSSHP managed to reduce the duration of its artificial joint replacement episodes by over 50%.

KSSHP combined and mobilized best practices from different hospitals. The artificial joint replacement process became significantly shorter than in other hospitals, and the improvement of benchmarking results encouraged the further development of operations. The durations of episodes in other benchmarking hospitals have also become notably shorter.

NHG’s surgery benchmarking produces tangible knowledge about alternative approaches, resource allocation and quality to participants. By examining operations from multiple points of view, it is possible avoid sub-optimization, such as the reduction of episodes by increasing the share of customers referred to follow-up treatment.

Tampere University Hospital (TAYS) has about 10 million support service events per year. Hospital staff often order support services on paper and using order systems designed by different providers, which is not expedient in a busy hospital environment.

Kaufmann designed and delivered a mobile application named Paketti (“Package”) to TAYS, enabling staff to place orders using a single application. Support staff have more time available when nurses can manage routine orders on the spot. A user-centred development model guarantees that the service meets users’ needs.

The service was created in two-week sprints, supervised by a steering group that meets monthly and a strategy team that meets twice a year. Today, the application is used in the TAYS Central Hospital, Coxa and Heart Hospital.

Funded by Cancer Foundation Finland, the study examined the development of costs of cancer and treatment outcomes in Finland in 2009–2014.

The costs of cancer included treatment-related costs in specialized healthcare and basic healthcare. The total costs also included the ward treatment by private providers and foundations, screening costs as well as medicine reimbursement, rehabilitation services, rehabilitation and sickness allowances and pensions and travel expenses paid by Kela.

The costs of cancer have increased slower than was predicted in previous studies. The costs have increased the most in the outpatient care of specialized healthcare and in terms of the medicines reimbursed by Kela. The costs have decreased in the ward treatment of specialized healthcare and in terms of disability pensions. Two articles based on the study were published in Acta Oncologica Scandinavica.