Advancing Medical Research and Patient Care with HUS Data Platform

Customer Overview

Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) is considered one of the world’s best hospitals and a leading medical institution in Finland, known for its commitment to research, innovation, and patient care. As a university hospital, HUS has a strong focus on data-driven healthcare and has been at the forefront of digital transformation for over a decade.

Challenge

With a vast amount of healthcare data generated across various systems, Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) faced challenges in:

• Consolidating data sources: Integrating over 70 different medical record systems and operational data sources.
• Enabling advanced medical research: Supporting data-driven innovation while ensuring compliance with strict security regulations.
• Enhancing clinical decision-making: Providing a comprehensive, real-time view of patient data for clinicians.
• Scaling cloud-based solutions: Transitioning to a cloud-first strategy to support AI-driven analytics and research.

HUS needed a unified data platform that could drive research, improve patient outcomes, and accelerate digital transformation in healthcare.

Solution

To address these challenges, HUS developed its Data Platform, a secure and scalable infrastructure designed to:

• Aggregate and standardize data: Collecting patient information from various sources into a unified system.
• Enable AI-driven insights: Implementing AI and machine learning algorithms to enhance diagnostics and research.
• Support secure research environments: Providing a Trusted Research Environment (TRE) for academic and medical studies.
• Facilitate real-time decision-making: Offering a 360-degree patient view for clinicians, reducing inefficiencies in care delivery.

This platform was built with a cloud-first and future proof strategy, ensuring flexibility, scalability, and high-performance computing capabilities.

Implementation

The data platform was rolled out in stages:

1. Cloud transition: Moving infrastructure and data storage from on-premises to a cloud-based environment with cloud native data and AI technologies.  
2. Integration of clinical and operational data: Unifying over 70 different systems to create a single source of truth.
3. Development of AI algorithms: Leveraging machine learning for predictive analytics in patient care and research.
4. Trusted Research Environment deployment: Establishing a secure workspace for over 1,000 researchers to conduct advanced studies on real-world data.

Results

The implementation of the HUS Data Platform has led to significant improvements across multiple areas:

• Enhanced medical research: Over 400 annual research requests processed, driving new medical insights.
• Faster data access: Clinicians gain a real-time, 360-degree patient view, improving treatment accuracy.
• Accelerated innovation: AI-driven algorithms help researchers and doctors identify patterns, leading to earlier diagnoses and better patient outcomes.
• Increased operational efficiency: Data infrastructure now supports rapid changes, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 response.

Key Benefits

For researchers	For clinicians	For patients
Secure, AI-powered research environment to explore new medical breakthroughs.	A comprehensive patient overview, enabling more precise and timely decision-making.	Faster diagnoses, improved access to care, and potential for more personalized treatment plans.

 

Future outlook

Looking ahead, HUS aims to:

• Expand AI and machine learning capabilities: Continuously integrate the latest AI models to improve diagnostics and patient care.
• Enhance data-driven management: Utilize predictive analytics for better hospital resource planning.
• Scale across Nordic healthcare: Serve as a model for other hospitals in the Nordic region, driving collaboration in medical research and AI development.

Collaboration with Tietoevry

HUS partnered with Tietoevry Care to co-develop the platform. The collaboration provided:

• AI and data expertise: Enabling advanced analytics and predictive models.
• Seamless IT integration: Ensuring smooth data flow across medical and operational systems.
• Security and compliance: Guaranteeing that patient data is protected while facilitating groundbreaking research.

Conclusion

HUS has established itself as a leader in data-driven healthcare innovation, transforming how medical research is conducted and how patient care is delivered. With its cloud-based data platform and AI-powered analytics, HUS is not only enhancing healthcare in Finland but also paving the way for the future of digital medicine across the Nordic region.

We are developing our data platform together with HUS and Tietoevry Care as one team, ensuring that research, clinical care, and patient outcomes continue to improve.
— Sara Kinnunen, HUS

 

 

Would you like to know more about the opportunities Lifecare Data Platform offers? 

Lifecare Data Platform - Actionable insights for better care