THE CRITERIA OF GOOD SERVICE IN SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE 

Criteria for good service in the social and health sector. Act on the status and rights of patients and social care clients. The quality of the service is measured by the following criteria: Customer orientation, Patient/customer safety, Justice, Timeliness of treatment, Competence, Fluency, Efficiency (health benefit), Personel sizing, Freedom of choice. The legal principles regarding treatment are defined in the Patient Status and Rights Act (No. 785/1992). 

The right to be treated respectfully and appropriately without violating the patient/client´s dignity, personal religion or privacy.  

The ethnic/cultural background of the patient must be taken into account. 

The right to good treatment. 

Everyone permanently living in Finland is entitled to health care and medical care and medical treatment as required by their state of health. 

The patient/customer has the right to good and high-quality social and health care.  

All patients/clients have the right to self-determination. Urgent care. Patients should be given the necessary treatment to avoid danger if it is not possible to assess their will due to unconsiousness or another reason. If the patient has previously firmly and competently expressed his will regarding a certain treatment, he must not be given it against his will. 

The customer has the right to receive high-quality and good social care. The customer must be treated in a way that does not violate his human dignity and his religion and privacy are respected. Social care must take into account the client´s wishes, opinion, interest, individual needs, mother tongue and cultural background. Social care personnel must explain to the client his rights and obligations. If the social care staff does not speak the language used by the client or the client is not understood because the client has a sensory or speech impairment, an interpreter must be obtained for the client. In the implementation of social care, the client´s wishes and opinion must be taken into account first and his right to self-determination must be respected. The customer must be allowed to participate and influence the implementation of social care services. The customer´s case must be handled and resolved in accordance with  the customers interest. The patient advocate promotes and realizes patient´s rights and improves the quality of care/service by advising patients and their relatives on issues related to good and appropriate care. 

Sources:

Finlex: Laki potilaan asemasta ja oikeuksista 17.8.1992/785. Available at: https://finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1992/19920785#L5P14. Quoted 19.12.2023

Finlex: Terveydenhuoltolaki 30.12.2010/1326. Available at: https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2010/20101326#a1326-2010. Quoted 19.12.2023

Helsinki University Hospital: Good care and treatment. 

Available at: https://www.hus.fi/en/patient/patient-guide/during-treatment#good-care-and-treatment- Quoted 19.12.2023. 

City of Helsinki. Health and Social Services.Social and Patient Ombudsman: Available at: https://www.hel.fi/en/health-and-social-services/data-and-the-rights-of-the-client/social-services-and-patient-ombudsperson. Quoted 19.12.2023

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