We surveyed the share of digital clinic clients in the total population in all 14 well-being areas, whose digital clinic operations have their own service unit called SOTE-OID. The largest population shares of digital clinic users were measured in South Savo, North Ostrobothnia, Päijät-Häme, Pirkanmaa, Central Finland and South Ostrobothnia (2-7 %). The use of the digital clinic seems to be linked to opening hours, which in part highlights the differences between welfare areas in the resources allocated to digital clinic operations.

During the past few years, digital clinics have been pouring into welfare areas, but there are discrepancies in the use of digital services between regions. In this research blog, we examine the population share of users of digital clinics in 14 well-being areas based on Avohilmo data. We included in the analysis all well-being areas that have their own SOTE-OID service unit for digital clinic operations. This allows us to separate digital clinic service events from e.g. phone calls to the ground (Read the blog about utilizing SOTE-OID).

In the analysis, it should be noted that the differences between the wellbeing services counties reflect not only differences in service use, but also differences in recording practices and in how data is sent from the customer and patient information system (APTJ) to Avohilmo. Therefore, we need to be careful when interpreting the differences between welfare areas! Some attempts have been made to take into account possible differences in accounting practices by examining the share of digital clinic customers in the population (%) monthly (and not the number of events in the digital clinic). It should also be noted that the wellbeing services counties allocate resources and invest differently in digital clinic operations, which may also be reflected in the use of the service. 

Variations in the population share of digital clinic users between welfare areas

Figure 1 illustrates the share of users of the digital clinic in wellbeing services counties in the total population. Looking at the sample as a whole, we can see that there are large variations between regions. The lowest ratios are less than 1 %The highest percentage of the population is almost 8 %. The largest population shares were measured in South Savo (ES), North Ostrobothnia (PP), Päijät-Häme (PH), Pirkanmaa (PI), Central Finland (KS) and South Ostrobothnia (EP). South Savo close to 8 %The share of n is clearly higher than in other top areas, which is why it is worth interpreting the figure cautiously. In other regions, the share settles 2-3 tween the .. The lower middle caste included Itä-Uusimaa (IU), Kanta-Häme (KH), Länsi-Uusimaa (LU), Pohjois-Karjala (PK), Pohjois-Savo (PS) and Satakunta (SA). In these areas, the share was 1-2 tween the .. The lowest population shares were measured in Southwest Finland (VS) and Ostrobothnia (PO).

There are likely to be quality deviations in the readings in the picture, as there are regional variations in the recording practices and in the transfer of customer and patient data to Avohilmo. The most noticeable deviations from the figure are the higher level of Etelä-Savo, the low level of Päijät-Häme in 2022-2024 and the peak of Kanta-Häme in late 2024. Therefore, the results should be interpreted very cautiously.

Figure 1: Population shares of digital clinic users 01/2022-09/2025.

The regional differences are partly explained by the opening hours of digital clinics, but the region's investment and digital platform may have an impact on the utilization rate of services.

The areas with the highest population share of digital clinic users (ES, PP, PH, PI, KS and EP) also had larger than average opening hours. In these areas, the digital clinic is open on weekdays some hours after 4 pm (e.g. weekdays 8-19) and in the 5/6 area also on weekends. By contrast, regions where the population share of digital clinic users was lower than average (IU, KH, LU, PK, PS and SA) also had lower than average opening hours. In 5/6 areas, the digital clinic is only open on weekdays and in 3/6 areas only on weekdays during office hours.

This finding is also supported by the previous our analysis, which appears to indicate that there is a demand for out-of-hours services. According to the analysis carried out with Avohilmo data, 38 % Private Distance Services and 27 % private attendances were allocated outside office hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or to weekends. This would suggest that the wider opening hours of the digital clinic (e.g. weekdays 8-18 or 7-20 and also weekend opening hours) could potentially increase the volume of digital clinic transactions. However, it is unclear whether and to what extent the additional volume would be a new demand or a substitute for calls and office chats.

Extended opening hours alone can hardly explain the differences in the use of the digital clinic between regions, but they may also reflect a higher than average investment in the digital transformation in the region. Marketing and communications can have a major impact on people's use of digital clinics. For example, in Päijät-Häme, letters were sent to every household informing them of the digital services available and offering instructions on how to do business. In addition, the Digital Clinic has also been reported in local newspapers. Clear communication, instructions and an easy-to-use digital platform together can improve the customer experience and increase the likelihood of using a digital clinic.

Authors of the blog:

Tapio Haaga and Alex Kivimäki