Terveysjärjestelmä

Terveysjärjestelmä, or health system, refers to the organized network of actors, institutions, and resources that deliver health care and public health services within a country or region. Its aim is to protect, maintain, and improve population health, ensure access to essential services, and promote health equity.

The system comprises governance and policy-making, financing, service delivery, the health workforce, information and data infrastructure, and the availability of medicines and medical technology. Governance sets objectives, regulates providers, and steward resource allocation, often through ministries, health authorities, and social insurance bodies.

Service delivery is organized across levels of care: primary care serves as the first contact and ongoing care, with secondary and tertiary care handling more specialized services, alongside emergency, hospital, long-term, rehabilitation, and palliative care. Hospital networks, clinics, and community-based units operate within this structure, usually with some degree of public funding and private options.

Financing typically mixes public funding, compulsory social health insurance, and private payments or insurance. Policy aims include universal access, cost containment, and risk pooling, while patient costs and gatekeeping mechanisms vary by system.

Health information systems underpin planning, monitoring, and safety. Electronic health records, registries, and data protection measures support care coordination, quality improvement, and research. The health workforce includes physicians, nurses, and allied professionals, whose training and distribution influence access and outcomes.

Global variations range from tax-funded, universal systems to mixed models with private providers. Common challenges include aging populations, chronic disease burden, rising costs, health inequities, and the integration of digital tools and innovations.