Generative AI and digital services have high expectations in healthcare. They are hoped to improve the accessibility of services, speed up access to care, support the work of professionals and contain increasing cost pressures. At the same time, the ageing of the population, the sufficiency of staff and the pressures on public finances make it necessary to find new ways of organising social and health services in an effective and sustainable manner.
However, in addition to expectations, reliable research evidence is needed. For example, a digital service can improve access to healthcare, but at the same time increase the use of overall services. The same service can also affect the quality of care. AI tools, on the other hand, can help identify patients at risk or support treatment decisions, but their implementation can also raise new questions about responsibility, data protection, division of labour and equality.
Effectiveness often depends on how new solutions are implemented, by whom and how they change the work of professionals. New AI solutions and digital services do not automatically bring significant improvements to healthcare.
Multidisciplinary research group produces reliable information to support decision-making
The strength of the GAINS project is its multidisciplinary nature. The project involves top researchers from the fields of economics, medicine and sociology from the University of Turku, Aalto University and the University of Helsinki. Together, these areas of research form a whole that enables the impact of digital services and artificial intelligence to be examined from the point of view of society, the healthcare system, professionals and patients.
In particular, the project will explore how new technologies can improve the productivity, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of healthcare and support sustainable economic growth. The impact assessment utilises extensive register data and reliable research designs, such as randomised experiments and quasi-experimental research methods.
One of the objectives of the project is to carry out randomised experiments in cooperation with the wellbeing services counties in connection with the introduction of a new digital service or artificial intelligence tool. This creates a credible benchmarking framework that allows for a real impact assessment.
On this website, we will publish the project's research results, expert writings and topical perspectives on digitalisation and artificial intelligence in healthcare. Our goal is to produce socially significant research for decision-makers, technology developers, researchers and anyone interested in the development of social and healthcare services.
Welcome to the GAINS project!