The current pandemic reports daily a very strained situation in health care and hundreds have lost their lives. But Sweden's digital readiness is now being highlighted as a conceivable success factor for the strained situation so far to pave the pressure.

Daniel Forslund (L), is chairman of the Innovation and Development Committee in the Stockholm region. He sees how digitized healthcare has played a major role in the current crisis.

- We have a robust digital infrastructure in Sweden, we have good broadband almost everywhere, we have been early in introducing digital solutions. We would not have been able to cope with this crisis if we had not had the opportunity to remove physical visits to health care for example, or that schools can work with digital solutions, then we would have had a crisis in welfare too, says Daniel Forslund to SVT.

Digital care is increasing in the risk group

As an example, he points to Region Stockholm's self-assessment test for Corona, which had already been taken over a million times after a day. After this, it was seen that the telephone queues decreased at the counseling number 1177, which before the test was up to 60 minutes against today's 1-3 minutes.

The Stockholm region figures also show that the 70-79-year risk group uses 1177's digital services, only in March a 50 percent increase was seen.

Furthermore, digitized care has meant that staff with mild symptoms have been able to continue their important work from home.

- This has involved thousands of employees who have been able to continue to work and relieve their colleagues, says Daniel Forslund to SVT.

Can take care of more

Julia Schou is a general practitioner in general medicine at Capio. She sees great benefits in working digitally.

- So far, we think this technology helps us to take care of more. For example, having drop-in clinics increases the risk of infection much more when you do not know which patients are infectious or not, or who may be at risk of infection.