Sulev Reisberg: Estonia's health data could save lives if we finally put it to work

Estonia's health data is inaccessible to doctors and policymakers due to fragmented systems, slow access procedures, and over-regulation. Sulev Reisberg calls for creating simpler legal frameworks, establishing uniform data standards, and launching a rapid pilot project that would make healthcare quality visible in real time.

Estonia collects vast volumes of health data every year-from patient visits and hospital outcomes to medication prescriptions. Yet much of this data remains inaccessible to policymakers and treating physicians. The problem is not technical but systemic: fragmented data environments, bureaucratic access procedures, and an over-regulated data-use framework keep valuable information locked away.

The problem is systemic

Sulev Reisberg argues in a comment published in Riigikogu Toimetised that the situation is paradoxical: Estonia has one of the world's most digitally advanced healthcare systems, yet actual data use falls significantly short of this reputation. Doctors cannot get real-time visibility into the quality of care processes, policymakers cannot make evidence-based decisions, and researchers must navigate lengthy and complex application procedures even for routine analyses.

Three interconnected barriers lie at the heart of the problem. First, Estonia's healthcare data is scattered across different registers, hospitals, and information systems that do not speak a common language. Second, access to data is so slow and complicated that many potential users give up. Third, the legal framework for data use is so cautious that it inhibits rather than supports responsible data utilisation.

What needs to be done

According to Reisberg, the solution has three parts. First, a simpler and clearer legal framework is needed that would enable responsible use of health data without excessive bureaucratic obstacles. Second, uniform data standards must be established to make data from different systems compatible and comparable. Third, the state should launch a rapid pilot project that would make healthcare quality indicators accessible in real time to doctors, hospital managers, and policymakers alike.

Better use of health data is not merely a matter of efficiency-it is a matter of life and death. When a doctor can see in real time which treatment methods work best for similar patients, healthcare quality improves. When a policymaker sees where the health system is underperforming, resources can be directed to where they are needed most. Reisberg emphasises that Estonia has all the prerequisites to be a world leader in this field; what is missing is political will and a concrete action plan.