The new regional client information system for the wellbeing services counties of North Savo and Pirkanmaa

In the wellbeing services counties of North Savo and Pirkanmaa, a regional social care customer information system, Saga Social Care, will be implemented in the fall of 2024. The regional councils of both wellbeing services counties confirmed the implementation in June, and as a result, the implementation projects will begin in August. The system covers all social care services, including services for families with children, child protection, family law services, services for working-age people, services for the elderly, disability services, and substance abuse services. 

The Saga Social Care system is provided by the domestic social and healthcare information system supplier Mediconsult Oy. In March 2023, Mediconsult Oy won the tender for the regional social care customer information system for Istekki (Northern Savonia and Pirkanmaa wellbeing services counties) and the Central Finland wellbeing services county. For the Central Finland wellbeing services county, the schedule for the start of the implementation project will be clarified after the summer.

The new system will replace the three separate customer information systems currently in use in both wellbeing services counties. In the North Savo wellbeing services county, the Saga Social Care system will have about 6,000 professional users, and in the Pirkanmaa wellbeing services county, about 7,200. The unified system, representing next-generation technology, is a key tool to ensure that social and healthcare professionals in both wellbeing services counties can comply with the new and harmonized recording practices for all social workers in Finland, which will come into effect on September 1, 2024.  

Saga Social Care is the choice of an increasing number of wellbeing services counties and social and health care professionals.

Saga Social Care is part of the Mediconsult Saga® customert and patient information system developed for the Finnish social and health care sector. Saga Social Care is a ready-made solution that has been on the market since 2019. The system has been selected for five wellbeing services counties and has quickly increased its market share to nearly 30 percent, covering a population base of approximately 1.6 million citizens.

 – Together with Finnish social care experts, we have been able to develop a next-generation social care customer information system that perfectly meets the needs of wellbeing services counties. It's great to start collaborating with both wellbeing services counties and their social care professionals right after the summer holiday season, says the Social Care Business Director Kristiina Moilanen.

The development of Saga Social Care is guided by usability, legal requirements, and other functionalities required by authorities, as well as customer-oriented functional needs. 

– We are particularly proud of the feedback we have received from users of our system. Social care professionals find Saga Social Care to be clear, fast, and easy to use. Additionally, the system is perceived as an excellent comprehensive tool with several functionalities that can speed up work. This is important to us because we want to contribute to bringing new tools that facilitate daily work to Finland's social and healthcare sector, Kristiina Moilanen summarizes.

What benefits does the Saga Social Care customer information system bring to social care professionals in wellbeing services counties?

• One unified system enables smooth information sharing between different units, service tasks or teams, and social and healthcare professionals. 
• Through the system, a professional can access the customer information archive, i.e., Kanta services. Through Kanta services, professionals have real-time customer information available at all times.
• The system also includes the customer's history, which helps the professional better understand the individual needs and overall situation of the customers. This, in turn, facilitates the identification of service needs and directs them to the appropriate services. 
• The system is browser-based and can be used anywhere and anytime - also on mobile devices. This way, the customer's information is easily accessible to the professional wherever the customer is served and services are planned.  
• The system is guiding and helps the user to record according to requirements. This reduces the time spent on recording and allows for more time with customers.
• The sending and separate archiving of papers will become a thing of the past, as the system offers the possibility for electronic information sharing as well as electronic signing and archiving..

What does the new system enable for residents of the wellbeing services county who use social services?

• Client information related to social care services will become visible to residents in OmaKanta. Until now, personal information has been visible in OmaKanta only for healthcare data. 
• Social and healthcare professionals have a more comprehensive and real-time view of customer information than before. This allows the professional to serve service users better and more personally.