Estonia stands at the forefront of healthcare innovation, exemplifying a digital-first approach that has transformed its national health system. With nearly all healthcare services digitalised, Estonians benefit from secure, comprehensive access to their medical records. By leveraging robust infrastructure, data-driven insights, and one of the world’s largest biobanks, Estonia has become a model for personalised, predictive healthcare solutions.
Estonia has set a groundbreaking example in digitalising healthcare, with 99 per cent of its healthcare system implemented digitally. Since 2008, when the government opened the Estonian National Health Information System (HIS), all healthcare operations across the nation have been stored within this system, ensuring patients’ health data is securely protected.
The system covers visit summaries, treatment plans, prescription medicine, referrals, diagnostics, analyses, dental records, medical procedures, discharge details, information about vaccinations, and a log-book overview, allowing patients to see who has accessed their data.
All previously mentioned activities are digitalised, including an e-prescription system and a medical digital image bank. Estonia has designed its system with an opt-out model, meaning the patient has full access to their medical data and can control who sees it. As citizens own their health data, they have the right to question officials about viewing it for appropriate purposes. Patient records are only accessible to the healthcare professionals directly involved in their care.
How does Estonia have the ability to build the world’s most advanced digital society?
Estonia has a digital-first approach — all of our nationally provided services are digitally run and connected through central systems, allowing Estonian citizens to access them digitally, regardless of their location. Since 2001, the government has been developing X-road, a distributed data exchange layer for registers and information systems.
It is the backbone of e-Estonia, enabling Estonia’s public and private sector information systems to link and operate seamlessly. As a result, 99 per cent of public services are accessible online, 24/7.
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The success of digital nation lies on the strong infrastructure Estonia has built, which supports different sectors — health, finance, education, defence, industry, environment, energy, and more. To support business growth, attract new entities and bring in new talent, Estonia launched the e-residency program in 2014 — being the first digital nation for global citizens.
Estonian unicorns also support the growth of new digital services, such as the remote verification system for notaries launched in 2020 in partnership with Veriff to securely enable remote authentication. The only thing not yet digitalised in Estonia is filing for a divorce, although it is likely to soon shift to a digital format as well.
Technological advancements in Estonian Healthtech
Estonia has made significant advancements in telemedicine, personalised medicine, and data-driven healthcare. Various telemedicine solutions are being used to reach patients in remote areas to provide equal and timely access to healthcare services.
Estonia has one of the largest population-based biobanks in the world, consisting of the data of more than 200 000+ individuals, which is more than 20 per cent of adult population. This valuable resource enables the development of precision medicine solutions tailored to individuals’ genetic needs.
The primary goal is to design patient-centric systems by using genome data for predictive analysis, based on secondary data usage. In June 2024, Estonia launched My Gene Portal for genome donors, offering personalised genome information related to specific diseases, medication suitability and genetic background.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also gaining large interest in the field of Estonian healthtech, with companies exploring AI-driven diagnostics and treatment recommendations. The government actively supports the adoption of new AI technologies to streamline processes and improve diagnostic accuracy.
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Key trends in Estonia focus on the use of AI in clinical decision support systems, early detection of cancerous cells in the human body, elderly care solutions that help predict and enhance safety in environments like hospitals, antiviral drug discovery platforms, mental health support tools, and more.
Future plans for Healthtech
Estonia’s healthtech ecosystem is focusing on integrating AI and machine learning, particularly in preventive care and early diagnosis. There is a strong interest in developing solutions that predict emerging health risks, enabling more proactive management of the growing number of multimorbid conditions. This is closely linked to using genetic information for predictive activities’ secondary data applications.
Another priority is enhancing cross-border healthcare collaboration. Estonia has already established partnerships with 13 EU countries to exchange e-prescriptions, with a broader focus on cross-border health data sharing. This initiative was launched in 2017 by European countries to sustainably facilitate health data exchange across Europe.
The aim is to strengthen regional hub, e.g. Tehnopol HealthTech activities to foster healthtech innovation that benefits from the collective expertise and resources of multiple nations.
Additionally, cybersecurity in healthcare is a top priority. As healthcare becomes increasingly digitalised, so do the risks of data breaches and cyber-attacks. In 2023, according to one of the top telecommunication providers, Estonia experienced a 2600 per cent surge in cyber-attacks compared to the previous half year, with healthcare being the second most targeted sector.
In response, we need to actively design, implement and integrate safe and secure systems. Estonia is investing heavily in secure digital infrastructure to protect patient data, while also exploring new ways to safeguard health technology solutions against emerging cyber threats.
Conclusion
Estonia’s healthtech ecosystem serves as a model for how digital innovation can transform healthcare. With strong government support, a commitment to data-driven solutions, and a clear vision for the future, Estonia has reached the top of global healthtech advancements.
The country’s focus on AI, personalised medicine, and international collaboration provides a solid foundation for developing the next generation of healthcare technologies and alleviating healthcare challenges.
While technology cannot replace healthcare professionals, it can effectively support them in precision medicine, clinical decision-making, diagnosis and treatment, leaving the final judgement for the healthcare professional. This support helps to save valuable time and also lives across the globe.
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