Diseases and quality of care

Population health improves through systematic monitoring of treatment outcomes and the quality of care

The National Clinical Quality Registries monitor the quality of care for specific patient groups. The registries provide information on how well care is delivered, what outcomes are achieved, and in which wellbeing services counties improvements are needed.

“Results from goal-oriented outcome improvement work based on national quality registry data are already visible in practice. For example, cholesterol levels among patients with diabetes have improved, which reduces heart attacks and strokes,” says Chief Medical Officer for Care Quality and Outcomes, Aapo Tahkola.

The Quality Registries are continuously being developed: data content is expanded, indicators are refined, and the work is strengthened through broad collaboration with multiple stakeholders. The official operations of the nine THL National Quality Registries mandated by the decree began in 2023.

The number of patients receiving renal replacement therapy continues to grow

An estimated 7–10 percent of Finns have chronic kidney disease. For some, the disease progresses to the point where renal replacement therapy is required. At the end of 2024, approximately 5,300 people in Finland were receiving renal replacement therapy.

Long-term kidney failure can cause various systemic disorders. The life-sustaining treatments for severe kidney disease are kidney transplantation and dialysis. The treatment is burdensome for the patient and costly for society. When appropriately delivered, renal replacement therapy significantly improves patients’ quality of life and survival.

The aim is to increase the proportion of patients who receive a kidney transplant and those who use home dialysis.

Read more about the Registry for Kidney Diseases

Appropriately targeted intensive care saves lives and supports recovery

Intensive care is provided in intensive care units to severely ill or injured patients whose condition requires close monitoring and support for unstable vital functions. The most common reasons for intensive care are respiratory failure, circulatory failure and impaired consciousness.

According to the Intensive Care Quality Registry, 75 percent of patients with life-threatening disturbances in vital organ function were alive one year after their intensive care stay. Most intensive care patients recover to live independently.

Read more about the Intensive Care Quality Registry

Almost 40 percent of heart attack patients reach recommended cholesterol levels

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Finland. In 2024, approximately 5,300 Finns under the age of 80 experienced a myocardial infarction. In addition to effective acute treatment, long-term management—particularly cholesterol reduction—is crucial to patient prognosis.

According to the Cardiac Registry, only about 39 percent of heart attack patients had LDL cholesterol levels within guideline targets in 2023. For roughly 25 percent, cholesterol had not been measured at all.

Registry data show that adherence to cholesterol-lowering medication is associated with lower mortality among myocardial infarction patients. Ensuring and maintaining proper medical therapy is therefore essential.

Read more about the Cardiac Registry

24,000 people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes annually

Seven out of every hundred Finns have type 2 diabetes. Patients diagnosed at a young age face a high risk of heart attack and premature mortality.

Good control of blood pressure, LDL cholesterol and blood glucose, non-smoking, and early detection and treatment of kidney disease improve outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes.

One in every hundred Finns has type 1 diabetes. Each year, 1,000 new patients are diagnosed, with incidence peaking in childhood.

People with diabetes have, on average, a 14.8-year shorter life expectancy than those without the disease. Directly diabetes-related deaths account for the most years of life lost, averaging 20.2 years. In addition to optimal diabetes management, active treatment of mental health and substance use disorders is essential for improving prognosis.

Read more about the Diabetes Registry

High-quality treatment and rehabilitation improve outcomes for people diagnosed with psychosis

In 2024, 4,008 individuals received a psychosis diagnosis for the first time. At the end of 2024, 85,826 people with a psychosis diagnosis were alive in Finland. Prevalence varies by region.

Schizophrenia is the most common and most severe psychotic disorder. At the end of 2024, 9.3 percent of people aged 7–64 with a psychosis diagnosis were using institutional or residential social care services. There are regional differences in the use of such services.

In 2024, mortality among people with a psychosis diagnosis was 2.6 times higher than in the general population. High-quality treatment and rehabilitation can improve prognosis and functional capacity among individuals with psychotic disorders.

Read more about the Quality of Psychosis Care Registry

Regional differences exist in sick leave after back surgery

Back disorders are common and cause significant disability, reduced work ability, and early retirement. Most back pain resolves without surgery.

The number of back surgeries has increased in Finland and many other Western countries in recent decades. In Finland, about 12,500 back surgeries were performed in 2025. According to the Back Registry, patients generally benefit well from surgery, and complications are rare.

However, there are regional differences in sick leave after back surgery, possibly due to variation in sick leave practices and return-to-work procedures.

Data from the Spine Registry help identify improvement areas in care pathways and enhance the cost-effectiveness and equity of treatment.

Read more about the Spine Registry

In rheumatic diseases, up to 90 percent of patients are doing well.

Finland has approximately 173,000 people with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Most rheumatic diseases are chronic and require long-term treatment.

According to the Rheumatology Registry, patients’ condition is generally good one year after diagnosis. Early diagnosis, timely treatment and regular monitoring help prevent permanent joint damage and support functional ability and work capacity.

The Quality Registry for Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases provides information on treatment outcomes, therapies used and their safety.

Read more about the Rheumatology Quality Registry

More than 30,000 joint replacement surgeries annually

In 2024, approximately 13,000 primary hip replacements, 18,500 knee replacements and 1,300 shoulder replacements were performed—a total of nearly 33,000 surgeries.

More than 8,000, roughly one quarter of all surgeries, were performed at Coxa Hospital for Joint Replacement.

The number of primary surgeries increased by about 20 percent compared to the previous year, continuing a long-term trend. Private hospitals accounted for about 11 percent of primary surgeries.

Read more about joint replacement surgery

Regional differences exist in dental caries

Oral diseases—particularly dental caries and periodontitis—are common among all age groups in Finland.

Among adults who underwent dental examinations in 2024, 34 percent had caries. Sixteen-year-olds had an average of 2.6 decayed or filled teeth. Levels of caries vary between wellbeing services counties for both children and adults.

“Good self-care, healthy lifestyle habits and early diagnosis are key to the prevention and successful treatment of oral diseases,” says THL’s Chief Dental Officer, Ulla Harjunmaa.

Oral diseases are often linked to other health conditions and can cause complications or worsen treatment outcomes.

The timing of oral health examinations for children and young people is defined nationally, but service availability and delivery vary regionally and by socioeconomic status. Differences also exist between public and private oral health services.

Read more about results from the Oral and Dental Care Registry (in Finnish)

41 percent of HIV diagnoses are made late

There were 97 new HIV diagnoses in 2024 in Finland. The share of late diagnoses decreased slightly from the previous year, from 53 percent to 41 percent.

“HIV testing should be easily accessible and offered opportunistically during other healthcare visits, for example to people who have moved from countries with high HIV prevalence,” says Clinical Lead for the HIV Registry, Specialist Physician Pia Kivelä.

At the end of 2024, Finland had 3,423 people living with HIV in follow-up care. Most (63 percent) lived in Southern Finland. Nearly all were on antiretroviral therapy, and 98 percent achieved good viral suppression.

“A patient with well-controlled HIV does not transmit the virus and has a life expectancy similar to the general population. But if a person is unaware of their infection, onward transmission and AIDS-related illnesses remain a risk,” notes THL’s Chief Medical Officer Tuula Hannila-Handelberg.

The HIV Registry report is compiled using data from THL’s national infectious disease register and from annual reports submitted by HIV care units. The data are updated each March. The report describes treatment outcomes, the situation of new infections and the success of early diagnosis.

Read more about HIV Registry results (in Finnish)

Upcoming related publications

Quality registry reports are updated at least annually. Diabetes Registry results are updated twice a year. Joint replacement surgery results are continuously updated.

Registry results are discussed in peer development sessions. A joint annual peer learning event for all registries is held once a year.