A description of the new service voucher model for oral health care
As part of its ‘Services to be based on customer needs’ key project the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health launched the ‘Suu kuntoon’ (a healthy mouth) project. The aim of this project is to develop the service voucher practices for oral health care. The cities of Helsinki, Kuopio and Turku, Kela, the National Institute for Health and Welfare, as well as the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and consultancy company PwC are all taking part in the project.
Merja Auero, Chief Dentist for the City of Helsinki describes the new service voucher model in a video interview. She also tells us how the project progressed, when the model will be launched and whether it is can be shared and disseminated.
Link to the video interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85VjpO5EXx8
Transcript of the interview
Give us a description of the new service voucher model for oral health care
The new service voucher model ensures that it is easy for the customer to get information and a sufficient amount of it, so that he/she can reliably compare different service providers before selecting one. Secondly, it will help reduce the fragmented nature of a patient's care. This in turn will decrease the number of required procedures and save the customer's time. It is also the better solution from the viewpoint of oral health care professionals. Thirdly, the model will help in cutting administrative costs, and there will be more public funds available to meet the customer's service needs.
How did the Suu kuntoon project progress?
Development work for the project was carried out last summer and autumn at an intense pace. This project was initiated with a survey of the current service voucher practices participating municipalities' have in place and the processes related to these in great detail. This has been very interesting; although practices have been very different, the areas that required development were very much the same. The project focused on improving the customer needs-based service voucher process at all its stages.
When will the model be launched and can it be shared and disseminated?
The new service will be launched in the near future. We will communicate on the model in many places including national conferences for senior and chief dentists. I believe that the Suu kuntoon project will foster the creation of many good practices for service voucher activities throughout Finland. The experiences we gain from this project can be utilised in activities that are in accordance with the forthcoming Act on freedom of choice.
Further information
Services to be based on customer needs (In Finnish)
Service voucher for dental care (In Finnish)