Potilaskohtaisia

Potilaskohtaisia is a Finnish adjective meaning patient-specific or pertaining to an individual patient. It is used to describe information, decisions, or actions that are tailored to the characteristics and needs of a particular patient rather than to a general population.

In everyday healthcare and health informatics, potilaskohtaisia refers to personalization in several contexts. Examples include potilaskohtaisia hoitosuosituksia (patient-specific treatment recommendations), potilaskohtaisia hoitopäätöksiä (patient-specific clinical decisions), and potilaskohtaisia tietoja (patient-level data). The concept is also relevant in the development of risk assessments, treatment planning, and patient education materials, where characteristics such as age, gender, medical history, current medications, and, when available, genetic information, guide the approach.

The use of potilaskohtaisia data or actions highlights the balance between personalized care and privacy. Because patient-specific information is sensitive, its collection, processing, and sharing are subject to data protection regulations (including the EU General Data Protection Regulation) and national health information governance standards. In research and quality improvement, distinguishing between aggregated population data and potilaskohtaisia data is important for ethical and methodological reasons.

Related terms include potilas, potilaallinen (patient-related), and person-centered or individualized care concepts found in both Finnish and international healthcare language. The term underscores a goal of tailoring care to the unique profile of each patient.