Treatment protocols make good choices easy for customers
Patient counselling based on medical science is the basis of all operations at Terveystalo. Patient counselling is being developed based on common treatment protocols, and the first treatment protocol related to non-specific low back pain will be introduced in October. The purpose is to increase the effectiveness of the treatment the customer receives and to assist and speed up recovery and return to work.
The treatment protocols are treatments defined by Terveystalo, based on the Current Care Guidelines, to treat a given illness or ailment for which a customer seeks treatment. With their help, uniform treatment of a specific ailment is ensured in Terveystalo’s nationwide network, which guarantees consistent quality and the realization of effective treatment.
“Treatment protocols clarify and streamline the professional’s work. When the diagnosis-specific care pathway is strengthened with the help of automated alerts, the appointment can focus on the encounter and the things that bring added value to the customer,” says Antti-Jussi Ämmälä, Senior Physician, Quality and Patient Safety at Terveystalo.
“For example, the treatment protocol for low back pain includes physical therapy. When you record low back pain in the patient information system, a referral for physical therapy can be made very easily,” says Ämmälä.
Terveystalo’s responsibility is to support the customer in various ways. By developing digital solutions, ways are sought to remind and be in active contact with the customer if it seems that the next steps of the treatment will not be done. We also support self-care by bringing information about the ailment and its self-care into the app.
“Through our expertise, we know what things should happen for an effective treatment to take place and for the patient who is to be treated to get help for their ailment as soon as possible. Our job is to make sure that these things actually happen so that a minor ailment does not turn into a long-term health problem that causes sickness absences. When a referral for further treatment has been made, the customer receives a message through which they can immediately book the appointment. If the customer does not book an appointment, we first remind them gently and then more briskly,” explains Ämmälä.
In the future, researched information related to the diagnosis and support for self-care will be distributed widely to customers through the Terveystalo app. Now, at the latest, you should encourage your personnel to use the app.
“One of the expert’s tasks is to share information about the customer’s ailment. It may not always be possible to take in all the information during an appointment, so we make it easy for customers to return to the information. Through the Terveystalo app, we share additional information about treatment, articles and, for example, physical therapy instruction videos,” says Ämmälä.
At the end of 2022, Terveystalo will also introduce treatment protocols for occupational health customers prepared for the treatment of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders, as well as treatment protocols for vitreous detachment and acid reflux.
Latest articles
Occupational health Therapies at the Forefront – operating model reformed mental health support for staff in Oulu
Mental health and behavioral disorders were a cause for concern in the city of Oulu. Sick leave was on the rise, and the phenomenon was evident not only in statistics but also in the everyday life of work communities. When the Therapies to the Forefront operating model became available for occupational health services, Oulu seized the opportunity. The goal was to build a completely new way of thinking about mental health support and to provide tools for every employee to promote their own well-being and coping. The achievements of the first six months show that the solution was the right one: a 10% decrease in mental health absences is the result of a comprehensive cultural change.
The Finnish debate on sick leave is broken
Misconceptions about sick leave are more persistent than the flu virus. According to leading occupational health physician Anita Riipinen, it is time to correct this misconception.
The Therapies to the Forefront operating model will soon be available as part of occupational health services throughout Terveystalo
Terveystalo is one of the first operators to utilize the Therapies at the Forefront operating model in occupational health care, starting in the summer of 2025. Our experiences with the model as part of occupational health have been very positive, and our goal is to offer all our organizational customers the opportunity to use the model during 2026. The model is part of the national mental health strategy and aims to ensure timely and effective support for mental health challenges in collaboration with welfare services.
Terveystalo succeeded in its ambitious goal of reducing mental health-related absences: savings amounted to approximately 100,000 working days and EUR 42 million.
At the beginning of 2025, Terveystalo committed to achieving a significant reduction in mental health-related sick leave among its occupational health customers. Focusing on the prevention of mental health disorders and rapid, effective treatment yielded results that exceeded the target. Mental health-related sick leave fell by 7%, which resulted in a total of approximately 100,000 additional healthy working days and savings of nearly EUR 42 million for occupational health customer companies.
Sick leave on the decline: what does the data for 2025 tell us about the work ability of Finns?
Terveystalo's Näin Suomi voi* material reveals several positive changes in Finnish working life. In 2025, Finnish employees had fewer sick days on average than before, and more and more people got through the whole year without a single day of absence. Absences due to mental health issues, which had been a cause for concern for a long time, also decreased significantly. The data shows a change in work ability management: problems are addressed earlier and returning to work is supported more actively than before.
The renewed lifestyle disease risk report from health examinations provides more information and reinforces prevention
Starting in February 2026, the lifestyle disease risk report will include an estimate of metabolic age and compare each individual's results with data collected from working-age people at Terveystalo.