Country Correspondent: Roosa Tikkanen
The Swedish Government has allocated approximately SEK 3 billion (USD 328.4 million) to be paid from 2018 through 2021 to strengthen primary care for patients. Last spring, the first “patient billion” was paid to Sweden’s 21 county councils; the amount per county was based on population size. The funds will be used for two purposes: Starting in 2019, patients will be guaranteed to receive a medical evaluation within three days of seeking care, faster than the current guarantee of seven days. Second, funds will support the implementation of a patient contract, a personalized care plan to help coordinate care among multiple providers. County councils will be responsible for developing the necessary infrastructure to enable sharing treatment plans with patients and their caregivers and booking appointments online.
