Functioning of the service voucher system in primary health care

The goal of the assessment

The main question of the assessment was whether the use of the service voucher has promoted the functioning of primary health care and smooth access to treatment. This was assessed by examining whether the use of the service voucher has promoted smooth access to non-urgent treatment. It was additionally assessed whether the service voucher system is functional from the perspective of the client and the service provider and whether the cost effectiveness of the service voucher system has been investigated. The service voucher for general practitioner appointments was first adopted in Helsinki as a pilot in 2019 before becoming one of the methods for organising medical services in 2021. The purpose of the service voucher is to facilitate access to doctors during peak times.

Conclusions

The use of the service voucher for general practitioner appointments has not significantly contributed to the functioning of primary health care and smooth access to treatment at health stations, as it is only suitable for a small proportion of health station clients, and the availability of the voucher is limited. The service voucher has improved access to treatment at times in certain areas and for individual clients. There are various problems associated with the service voucher system, such as interruptions in treatment continuity, problems with the transfer of patient data and the low cost-effectiveness of the service voucher. Based on the findings of the assessment, the supervision of service providers has not worked as instructed. The City aims to update the value of the service voucher for a general practitioner appointment in 2025, as a need to adjust the price of the voucher due to inflation has been identified. Comparisons between the City’s own and purchased service provision have mainly focused on comparing costs, and the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division has not calculated the total cost of the service voucher or measured its effectiveness.