hoitomuotona

Hoitomuotona is a concept used in Finnish health and social care planning to describe the form or modality of care delivered to a patient or group of patients. The term emphasizes the organization and delivery context of care—the setting, cadence, provider team, and the intended goals—rather than the specific clinical content. In practice, hoitomuotona encompasses variations such as hospital-based acute care, inpatient or outpatient specialized care, home-based care, and long-term or residential care, as well as rehabilitative, preventive, and palliative modalities. It is used to map patient trajectories, allocate resources, and evaluate continuity of care across transitions between settings.

Etymology: The word is formed from hoito (care) and muotona (in the form of), reflecting a focus on how care is delivered.

Classification: Care modalities are typically described by setting (home, hospital, or facility), level of intensity (standard, intermediate, or intensive), care goals (curative, rehabilitative, preventive, palliative), and how care is coordinated across multiple providers and settings.

Significance: The concept supports planning and policy by clarifying what a given care episode aims to achieve and how it is organized, facilitating communication among clinicians, patients, and families, and informing budgeting and workforce planning.

Limitations: As a broad framework, hoitomuotona can be interpreted differently by institutions, and there is no single universally adopted taxonomy. Local definitions and criteria may vary.