11.11.2021

Telia joins the CleverHealth Network ecosystem

By joining the CleverHealth Network, Telia brings to the table strong IT infrastructure capabilities, data analytics expertise, network platform understanding and experience from earlier health care projects in the public sector, for instance. The partnership in the CleverHealth Network led by the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) will support Telia’s goal to accelerate digitalisation also in health care.

Telia contributes to the building of the health care infrastructure and its digitalisation

Henri Harmia, Head of Strategy, Product Area IT services, says that the strategic partnership Telia recently established with HUS has required Telia to genuinely transform their approach towards partnership and ecosystems. Telia already has good coverage as a provider of network services needed in basic health care, but Telia wants to explore the more critical parts within the health care value chain. Such parts are, for example, the usage of AI to in analysing HUS’s massive data lake and the development of real-time 5G network solutions essential for remote services and care. Joining the HUS-led CleverHealth Network gives Telia an opportunity to boost this ambition and take the health care IT infrastructure to new heights together with the other partners.

Harmia points out that the development work must take place in collaboration with the other actors that understand the health care sector and related IT systems. Telia demonstrates strong understanding on digitalisation, but in this development work, the expertise of the clinicians is essential for the developed solutions to genuinely benefit the health care in an efficient manner, at the same time improving the patients’ wellbeing.

Key words: remote and 5G

Telia is very keen on engaging in a project where efficient communications solutions are being developed to assist in remote consultation, diagnostics, and patient appointments. Telia is highly motivated to support the development of the solutions to help people, such as recovering patients, the elderly and those in palliative care, feel better at home.

The new technologies enhance the function and analytics of health care systems in mobile units, such as ambulances. The technologies can prevent unnecessary transfers when the fast 5G enables real-time usage and analytics of patient data. Low latency and wide capacity of the 5G network also improve the resolution and provide real-time data for the instruments needed in remote surgery. In addition, 5G technology may speed up the initiation of the treatment in time-critical situations. For example, in case of patient’s cerebral haemorrhage, remote consultation from another hospital may prove lifesaving. Super-fast network, machine learning and analytics all provide new possibilities to enhance the treatment or patients.

Visioning for revolutionary remote solutions

Remotely accessible health care services are solidly based on an ultra-secure and massive telecommunications network. Telia’s infrastructure expertise is applicable in the development of various solutions where real-time usage of large data masses and care accessibility are required, both in homes and in remote units.

According to Harmia, the health care solutions Telia has developed in other countries and the experiences it has gained can also benefit the development work taking place in Finland. As an example, Harmia mentions Sweden, where Telia has developed a digital process adopted by several Swedish health care districts. The digital process helps clinicians in the treatment of patients suffering from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) by offering means for remote follow-up and communications. The service that helps to treat this ever-increasing illness combines telecommunications, data management and analytics.

To sum up, Harmia envisions: ”In the future, I hope to see that the collaboration with the CleverHealth Network showcases revolutionary remote solutions benefitting thousands of citizens in the HUS region. I hope to see solutions of such brilliance that they can be exported to other Nordic countries, at least. What’s more, I envision them to integrate such an advanced digital process that can be scaled-up— safely and efficiently in the network.”