Work in Finland’s wellbeing services counties is undergoing a major transformation as digitalisation is used to respond to growing needs and challenges. Nelli Myllylä, Director of Development and Innovation at the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County, explains how people-centred digitalisation and the transformation of work are closely intertwined.
The population in wellbeing services counties is ageing, and the dependency ratio is weakening. At the same time, there is a shortage of skilled professionals, cost pressures are increasing, and funding is tightening. Solutions must be found through digitalisation, but not through isolated projects. Instead, it requires a fundamental transformation in how work is carried out within wellbeing services counties.
Digitalisation is not merely a technological issue; above all, it is a human one. It challenges wellbeing services counties to rethink how work is led, how professionals are supported, and how to ensure that technology truly serves people, not the other way around.
Path to an international forerunner
In its new strategy for 2026–2029, the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County states that its goal is to improve productivity through the intelligent use of digital solutions.
The strategy includes a transformation pledge that Western Uusimaa aims to become a pioneer in the use of technology and an internationally recognised leader.
“If we settle for the role of observer, the benefits enabled by technology will be delayed. Forerunners also have the opportunity to influence the direction of development,” the strategy states.
Myllylä emphasises that technology is not an end in itself. Rather, its purposeful use lies at the heart of the strategy: “We want to be thoughtful in choosing the essential points, where and how technology is used, and how its benefits are managed.”
Western Uusimaa is pursuing international leadership because it challenges the organisation to seek lessons beyond Finland’s borders. Ideas for the use of technology, such as automation, are actively sought from other sectors as well.
Digitalisation transforms work in health and social services
According to a report by the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, social and healthcare professionals spend on average just under three hours per day on documentation. The report estimates that documentation accounts for between 20% and 35% of working time.
Similarly, a study conducted in the United States found that physicians spend an average of 33% of their working time on administrative and documentation tasks, such as entering patient data and reporting.
Administrative and manual work therefore consumes a significant share of healthcare professionals’ daily work. The Ministry notes that even small improvements in documentation practices could generate substantial economic benefits.
“Streamlining burdensome manual work is one of the most important changes enabled by digitalisation. Efficiency is a key objective, but our aim is also to make work itself smoother, more flexible, and more humane. We want to free up time for interaction and reflection, which improves both the customer and employee experience,” Myllylä summarises.
The strategy also aims to streamline internal organisational processes, freeing up time from repetitive tasks and paper-based procedures for collaboration and long-term development.
For example, Myllylä notes that supervisors may have to enter the same information repeatedly in different systems. The goal is to develop internal services so that existing data can be utilised more effectively and supervisors’ time can be freed up for people management.
The benefits of AI appear promising
“In the future, the role of technology will grow, but the employee’s active attention to it will decrease. The goal is invisible, background technology that supports the core of the work,” Myllylä envisions.
The rapid development of generative AI in recent years will further accelerate this transformation. Western Uusimaa has boldly begun piloting the use of AI as part of expert work.
AI currently supports documentation, interpretation and translation, and some staff use generative AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT in administrative work.
According to Myllylä, the benefits already achieved through AI provide encouraging signals for broader adoption. Cost savings in interpretation and translation alone have already been significant.
However, isolated pilots or limited solutions are not enough to fully realise the potential benefits. Significant cost savings will only be achieved when ways of working are fundamentally redesigned to be technology-enabled from the outset and when solutions are implemented at scale.
Bold and experimental culture is prerequisite for success
The digital transformation, particularly the AI-driven shift, is still in its early stages in wellbeing services counties, and success ultimately depends on people. Ambitious goals cannot be achieved through technology alone if people are not engaged.
“Successful digitalisation requires a cultural shift, a leap in skills, strong leadership commitment, and clear visions developed through multidisciplinary collaboration,” Myllylä states.
According to Myllylä, it is essential that people and their experiences are not overlooked in the transformation. Everyone must understand what the changes mean for their own work and what they require in practice.
The digital transformation is a comprehensive change process that demands active identity-building and continuous renewal from the wellbeing services county. At the heart of cultural change is encouragement, both toward courage and experimentation, and toward persistence and determination.
“When making major changes and trying something new, we must accept that the benefits may not materialise immediately. The organisation needs drive and discipline to ensure that the promises are ultimately delivered,” Myllylä concludes.
Harness digitalisation to support healthcare and social services