Distance spanning solutions in healthcare and social care are rapidly increasing in all Nordic countries. Healthcare and care are offered in people’s homes based on their own needs. Digitalisation and remote service solutions are important prerequisites for maintaining the quality of the Nordic welfare model. But what are the sustainability impacts of these services?
Digitalisation is seen as one way of reducing the negative environmental impacts of healthcare and care production and advancing the green transition. But what other sustainable development goals are impacted?
The Nordic project
Integrated Healthcare and Care through distance spanning solutions (iHAC) is one of several projects that form part of Nordic Vision 2030´s action plan and contributes to the Nordic Council of Ministers‘ goal of being the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030. This publication presents distance spanning solutions through the lens of sustainability with a focus on climate impacts and SDG synergies.
The purpose of this publication is to enhance understanding of the implications of distance spanning solutions on the different dimensions of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The publication comprises two parts: the first part focuses on the environmental impacts of medicine robot services and the second part on the trade-offs and synergies concerning other environmental and socio-economic factors and their contribution to the green transition that is inclusive and sustainable.
The Nordic Welfare Centre would particularly like to thank the Centre for Rural Medicine – Region Västerbotten, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, Finnish Environment Institute and Stockholm Environment Institute, as well as the organisations in each country that have contributed with stakeholder perspectives.
Eva Franzén, Director
Bengt Andersson, Senior adviser