Decision Support for the Service Needs Assessment Process in Elderly Care

摘要

The paper presents a new solution for the service needs assessment process for elderly care in the South Karelia District of Social and Health Services (Eksote). Eksote is a forerunner in the development of health and social care services in Finland, as it combines primary and secondary health care, elderly care and social care in a totally new way, covering eight municipalities that worked independently earlier. The paper describes a new process and a supporting information system for the service needs assessment process. The focus is on the elderly health care. The article describes empirical experiences gained about the actual usage of the solution in daily operations.