“Public health center services have remained mainly a service channel for those outside working life,” says Heikki Pärnänen from the Medical Association.
Slightly less than half of the population would seek treatment at a health center if they fell ill, says a survey commissioned by the Finnish Medical Association.
According to the survey, 46 per cent of Finns would do so if they fell ill. 42 per cent would go to occupational health care in the first place and 8 per cent would choose a private doctor. Three percent would seek help from somewhere else.
The majority of the working population would seek occupational health. 88 per cent of the unemployed, 79 per cent of the retired and 61 per cent of the students would seek help from a health center.
“Public health center services have remained mainly a service channel for those outside working life,” says the policy director of the Medical Association. Heikki Pärnänen in the bulletin.
Majority however, 58 per cent of respondents said they had received health services from a health center in the previous 12 months.
For most of them, access to treatment went smoothly. However, about a third felt the waiting times were long. They were considered more problematic in urban than in rural areas.
Some respondents have had to use the services of a private doctor due to problems accessing treatment. 37% of respondents said they did so at least occasionally.
Due to the problems of accessing private physicians, women living in the Helsinki metropolitan area and more often than men apply for treatment.
The survey commissioned by the Finnish Medical Association was conducted by Kantar TNS in October – November 2021. The total number of respondents was 1,003.
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