Work on clearing queues for treatment continues in 2022 – increase in treatment provided reflected in patient injury statistics
By the end of June, the Patient Insurance Centre had registered 4,594 new notices of patient injury. The number of notices of injury continued increasing in early 2022. In the first six months, 766 notices of injury were reported each month on average, which corresponds to the monthly average for the entire year 2021 (765). Slightly more than one in four claimants were granted compensation in relation to at least one place of treatment.
The number of reported patient injuries grew by more than 30% during the 2010s. The upward trend was broken due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, with up to 13% fewer notices filed than in the previous year. Since the start of 2021, notices of patient injury have been filed more frequently than during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
The work on clearing the queues for treatment continued in early 2022. There are still some delays in access to treatment, and the queues are far from cleared. Injuries resulting from the limited resources available in healthcare are not compensated under patient insurance.
‘Significance cannot be assigned to the conditions and administrative decisions that contribute to the lack of sufficient resources when assessing whether a healthcare professional has performed to the required professional standard in their provision of treatment,’ says Minna Plit-Turunen, Director of the Patient Insurance Centre.
Although the coronavirus pandemic decreased the number of notices of patient injuries as a result from the decrease in treatment visits, the coronavirus disease did not have any significant impact on the patient injury statistics. The coronavirus is mentioned in only around 300 notices filed during the pandemic. Of these, less than 10% met some grounds for compensation.
‘The adverse reactions to coronavirus vaccines were still a hot topic this summer. Adverse reactions to coronavirus vaccines should be reported to the Finnish Mutual Insurance Company for Pharmaceutical Injury Indemnities. The Patient Insurance Centre does not compensate pharmaceutical injuries. However, compensation can be granted under patient insurance for injuries caused by poor injection technique, for example,’ says Plit-Turunen.
Around one in four claimants received compensation
Of the cases resolved by the end of June, a total of 965, or 23%, were deemed compensable. Slightly more than one in every four claimants received a favourable decision with regard to at least one case.
The majority of the compensated injuries (92.9%) were deemed treatment injuries. A patient injury is compensated as a treatment injury if the injury could have been avoided by opting for a different course of treatment. The second most frequent injuries are infection injuries (5.9%).
In the first half of 2022, a total of nearly EUR 21 million was paid out in compensation, including the management expenses of claims handling operations. The compensations to be paid are determined according to the provisions of the Patient Insurance Act and the Tort Liability Act.
‘When compensations are assessed, due consideration is given to the decision practice of the Traffic Accident and Patient Injuries Board and, where applicable, to the guidelines on compensation under motor liability insurance,’ says Elina Muukkonen, Compensation Manager at the Patient Insurance Centre.
The Patient Insurance Centre regularly publishes information on patient injuries. The information can be used for the benefit of patient safety.
‘In addition to the annual and interim reports published every year, the Patient Insurance Centre provides detailed information to hospital districts on the patient injuries that have occurred in their respective regions to support quality and patient safety efforts. The patient insurance injury data is also available for researchers for purposes that promote patient safety,’ says Plit-Turunen.
Additional information:
Interim report (PDF, link opens to new tab)
- Minna Plit-Turunen, Director, tel. +358 40 450 4632
- Elina Muukkonen, Compensation Manager, tel. +358 40 450 4604
- firstname.lastname@vakuutuskeskus.fi
- Communications tel. +358 40 450 4700
The Patient Insurance Centre handles all notices of patient injury concerning medical treatment and health care in Finland. The Patient Insurance Centre decides whether an injury is a compensable patient injury based on patient injury legislation. It also pays the compensation in accordance with legislation for those entitled to it. The Patient Insurance Centre safeguards patients and medical staff and produces information on patient injuries for the use of healthcare providers, insurance companies and patient safety work. The members of the Centre include all insurance companies granting patient insurance policies in Finland. www.pvk.fi