Strategy

Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare – so that we all could live a healthy life

The strategy of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare was updated in the spring of 2019 in cooperation with personnel and stakeholders.

THL - worthy of your trust:

• Responsibly bold
  We can. We try. We renew.
• Humane interactions
  We value. We listen. We discuss.
• Pioneer in equality
  We engage. We encourage. We challenge.

Mission

We promote the welfare, health and safety of the population, prevent diseases and social problems, and develop the welfare society.

Vision

We are the most impactful public health institute in the world.

We conduct high-quality research and specialist work. Together with our partners, we achieve significant change: population health, functional ability and involvement are improved, and people’s ability to take care of their own and their loved ones’ welfare is strengthened. We work to build an equal and sustainable society. We look after those who are in the most disadvantaged situations.

Strategic goals

Data

We respond to the needs for knowledge and data with high quality and at the right time.

• We assess and reform our research activities and data production according to the changing needs.
• We build information resources that are cost-effectively interoperable, of high quality and easy to utilise.
• We implement record keeping practices for social welfare and health care information that are nationally and structurally cohesive. 
• We are a reliable and responsible partner in research and information management and our processes fulfil quality requirements. 

We are expanding our data production to cover a number of significant but currently understudied areas.

• We put increasing emphasis on the perspectives of inequality, quality and effectiveness. 
• We develop the data on quality and effectiveness.
• We increase the collection of data on topics such as community-based social care services, persons in a vulnerable position, special population groups, private health care and occupational health care. 
• We promote the collection of data on the welfare and lifestyles of populations diversely from different data sources.

We take care of the digital security of our operations and prepare for cyber threats.

• We lead overall security on the basis of the current situation and a risk assessment.
• We anticipate disruptions and exceptional situations to ensure the continuity of our operations.
• We enhance our personnel's competence in digital security in a systematic manner.
• We require usability and security from the technologies and service production we are responsible for.

Interpretation

We maintain an up-to-date picture of the current situation and predict what is to come.

• We distribute an up-to-date national and regional interpretation of the welfare of the population, and the functionality and performance of the service system.
• We anticipate phenomena, assess the impacts of possible development paths and threats, and indicate desirable directions.
• We prepare and react to risks, threats and special situations.
• We strengthen impact assessment and use it to direct our operation.

We summarise our views as a driver for change.

• We renew expertise, research and the interpretation of data to be one step ahead of the changing needs.
• We are engaged in active dialogue with different stakeholders.
• We draw conclusions from data and make them available to citizens, professionals and decision-makers.

Solutions and support

We produce clear operating models and recommendations.

• The solutions we propose are based on research data and understanding of clients. 
• We promote cooperation between different agents and good practices. 
• The alternatives we present support the mitigation of the climate change and reduce the negative welfare and health impacts of the changes to climate and the environment.

We support the reforms of social welfare and social and health care services.

• We produce proposals for renewing social welfare by integrating benefits and services. 
• We promote cooperation between the regions and the development of their operations and services.
• We present socially, economically and ecologically sustainable solution proposals. 

We create a cycle of positive growth together with our partners.

• We operate in the key regional, national and international ecosystems and bring actors together. 
• We promote innovations and product development in the social and health care sector.
• We contribute to the development of people's health skills, inclusion, and the competence and multidisciplinary cooperation of professionals.
• We are committed to the Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals and promote them.