Information systems support health information exchange in the work of Finnish physicians to varying degrees

Background The health information exchange (HIE) is needed in patient care.

Methods The aim of the study was to examine by using a descriptive approach how health information systems (HISs) support collaboration and HIE in the work of physicians, and what tools they use to retrieve patient data from another organization. The data of the Electronic health records as physicians’ tools survey (2025) used in this article are limited to responses of public sector physicians.

Results 18% experienced that HIS support information exchange between physicians in different organizations (range between wellbeing service counties 8–52%), and 17% assessed that information about medication prescribed in other organizations is easily available (range 8–33%). 52% used a regional information system at least weekly to retrieve patient data from another organization, while 17% used paper and fax, and 83% used Kanta Services. 7% of respondents considered that information systems supported well cooperation between healthcare and social services professionals.

Conclusions HIS support HIE moderately within one's own organization – HIE between organisations needs to be improved. Access to medication information should be improved by the upcoming national medication list. Improving HIE between healthcare and social services requires legislative reform.

Tuulikki Vehko, Tinja Lääveri, Jarmo Reponen, Johanna Viitanen, Peppiina Saastamoinen