Terveysperusteinen

Terveysperusteinen is a Finnish term used to describe approaches, decisions, and evaluations that are anchored in health considerations. It indicates that health outcomes, health equity, and preventive measures are central to the reasoning process and that evidence about health effects informs choices in policy, administration, and practice.

The term is often applied in public policy and health care. In the policy domain, it can refer to ways of assessing and designing policies through a health lens, for example by conducting health impact assessments and aiming for healthier population outcomes across sectors. In health care and social services, the idea is to base clinical and organizational decisions on net health benefits, potential harms, and the distribution of health gains among groups.

Terveysperusteinen is related to, but distinct from, evidence-based practice. While evidence-based approaches emphasize the best available scientific evidence, health-based framing adds a broader emphasis on health outcomes and equity across society. It also aligns with the Health in All Policies framework, which seeks to integrate health considerations into decisions in non-health sectors.

Challenges include measuring health effects across diverse populations, balancing health objectives with economic, ethical, and individual preferences, and translating health-focused reasoning into concrete policy or clinical actions. Critics may argue that a sole health-centered view can overlook other values, such as autonomy or cultural considerations, requiring careful negotiation and transparent decision processes. See also health impact assessment, health in all policies, and evidence-based medicine.