sundhed.dk - Comprehensive Analysis Report

Summary

sundhed.dk is the official Danish eHealth Portal, established in 2003 as a central online platform for collecting and distributing healthcare information among citizens and healthcare professionals in Denmark. Its core mission is to optimize the Danish healthcare sector by providing a unified point of access to healthcare services and facilitating communication and collaboration among all stakeholders, including patients. The portal leverages a common infrastructure, positioning Denmark at the forefront of patient-centric healthcare IT initiatives.

1. Strategic Focus & Objectives

Core Objectives

sundhed.dk's strategic focus centers on supporting national healthcare goals and communicating the activities of the Danish healthcare services. Its main objectives include:

Consolidating relevant information from all parts of the healthcare service.

Offering a shared communication platform for all stakeholders.

Empowering patients with greater transparency and insight into their health.

Providing healthcare providers with easy access to clinical information about their patients' medical history.

Assisting healthcare professionals in delivering quicker and higher-quality services by integrating web-based services with clinical work.

Ensuring that essential information is available where and when needed, communicated without error, and with high data security.

Specialization Areas

The portal specializes in creating a unified digital healthcare ecosystem. Its key areas of expertise include:

Operating as the national common infrastructure for eHealth services.

Facilitating comprehensive data exchange and interoperability between diverse healthcare IT systems.

Developing patient-centric digital tools and information resources.

Ensuring robust data security and privacy within the healthcare context.

Target Markets

sundhed.dk serves two primary market segments:

General Public (Citizens): Providing access to health information, online services for appointments, prescriptions, and personal health data.

Healthcare Professionals: Offering tools for accessing patient records, laboratory results, admission/discharge notifications, and waiting list management.

2. Financial Overview

Funding History

sundhed.dk has received financial support, including a notable Grant (prize money) round on November 1, 2016. This round amounted to $328K, with the European Union and MeeW identified among the investors. This funding contributes to the portal's ongoing development and operational capabilities, supporting its central role in Danish eHealth.

3. Key Services

sundhed.dk offers a wide range of services designed for both the general public and healthcare professionals:

For Citizens

General Health Information: Comprehensive resources on various health topics.

Appointment Booking: Online scheduling with general practitioners (GPs).

Prescription Renewal: Convenient digital renewal of medications.

Medication Data Access: Secure access to personal medication history.

COVID-19 Services: Chatbot for information, tracking of test results, vaccination status.

Doctor Appointments & Teleconsultations: Support for managing and conducting virtual consultations.

For Healthcare Professionals

Laboratory Test Results: Online access to patient test outcomes.

Electronic Patient Records (EPR): Access to patient data stored in EPR systems.

Admission and Discharge Notifications: Real-time updates on patient hospital stays.

Waiting List Overview: Management and viewing of patient waiting lists.

Shared Medical Card: A project aimed at providing all Danish healthcare service members online access to a patient's medication status.

4. Technology & Innovation

Technology Stack

sundhed.dk operates on an Internet-based, service-oriented portal environment. This is supported by standard integration packages that form a national common infrastructure. This infrastructure provides an abstraction layer over existing platforms and applications.

Proprietary Developments

The platform enables high availability, the deployment of new functionality, and information access at low cost and with minimal time to market. It creates linkages between existing data sources, opens up data sets to new user groups, and facilitates communication. It ensures continuous development through a secure infrastructure, search optimization, and user interfaces. A unique personal identifier for all Danish citizens and a software-based PKI digital signature are widely utilized for secure access and authentication.

Technical Capabilities

The portal incorporates services such as a chatbot for COVID-19 related information, tracking of test results, vaccination status, doctor appointments, and teleconsultations. It also facilitates interoperability among approximately 15 different electronic patient record systems in the GP sector and four different homecare records used in municipalities.

5. Leadership & Management

sundhed.dk is led by an executive management team, a board of directors, and a steering committee, with representatives from the state, regions, and municipalities overseeing its strategic direction and collaborative operations.

Executive Team

Morten Elbæk Petersen, Director

Background: Serves as Managing Director since May 2002. Born in 1961, he holds a Master's degree in Economics and Social Science. His extensive career includes various leadership roles in health administration within Danish counties and hospitals. He was recognized with the HIMSS Europe eHealth Leadership Award in 2015 for his contributions to Danish health IT.