Dutch hospital group explores health innovation in Helsinki

One of the initiatives that made a big impression on the Santeon delegation is the health tech scale-up BeeHealthy, funded by private-healthcare provider Mehiläinen (founded in 1909).

BeeHealthy is centred around a mobile app through which patients can access personalised health and wellbeing coaching. The app includes daily challenges, exercise programs, meal plans and mindfulness exercises. It’s all aimed at helping people to improve their lifestyle habits.

“With Mehiläinen being the oldest private-healthcare provider in Finland, we were interested in how the company has adapted its traditional practices to the era of digital healthcare,” says Berend Buys Ballot, Innovation Manager at the OLVG Hospital in Amsterdam.

“BeeHealthy was everything we expected and more. The user experience is wonderful for both patients and clinicians. It’s very impressive work.”

Finland is really one of the frontrunners in centralising patient data. There’s a strong focus on combining data platforms and data hubs.

“Finland is really one of the frontrunners in centralising patient data. There’s a strong focus on combining data platforms and data hubs. This is something we’re working on in the Netherlands too, so it’s interesting to see how it’s being done in Finland,” says Buys Ballot.

Showcase of digital health startups

The group also met with representatives from MedicubeX, a Helsinki-based startup developing an e-Health station where patients can self-measure their vital signs and disease risks. The booths can be placed in hospitals, offices, or even supermarkets, enabling patients to measure important information they would normally need a doctor’s visit for.

Another Helsinki startup that demoed its work to the group is Vital Signs. The company produces a smart stethoscope for diagnosing respiratory diseases, using AI algorithms to analyse lung sounds and provide instant results for clinicians. Vital Signs aims to improve the accuracy and efficiency of respiratory-disease diagnosis and management.

In addition, the Dutch delegation heard about the innovation by startups Lapsi Health, EpiHeart and Nosore, discussed about the Finnish public initiative to improve the availability of mental health services, and met with Reaktor Health, Helsinki-based consultancy for digital healthcare.