MyHealth – patient experience at the core

Published 19.3.2025

It is important to identify the most effective treatments and ensure the quality of care in healthcare. At Tyks Orto, we monitor the functional capacity and quality of life of our patients with electronic Omavointi questionnaires. By comparing the results of the surveys before and after treatment, we can see how our patients themselves felt about their health with the advanced treatment, i.e. the effectiveness of the treatment given. By responding to questionnaires, our patients provide us with valuable information to support the planning of their treatment and help us develop the quality and effectiveness of our treatment.

Effectiveness in healthcare

Effectiveness can be measured in many ways. However, the patient is the best expert in his or her own condition. Therefore, at Tyks Orto, we collect information from our patients about their functional ability and quality of life before and after treatment. The questionnaires to be filled out are disease-specific symptom questionnaires and general measures of quality of life, and have been selected by experts in each area of specialization. The surveys we use map the impact of a symptom or illness on daily life, such as movement, sleep, everyday activities and hobbies. It is easy to fill out surveys electronically in the Omavointi service.

Your answer is important to us

The answers to the Omavointi questionnaires are valuable to us. In the treatment assessment at the polyclinic, the answers to the questionnaire are utilised as support in the planning of treatment. The result of the survey helps the treating physician to form an image of the severity of the disease and its impact on quality of life.

By looking at the responses we receive after treatment, we get information on how our patients recover after the surgery and what the results will be with the treatment. So we are able to look at the effectiveness of our treatment and develop its quality in the future.

The responses are stored in the Tyks Orto quality registries that have been in use since 2018, allowing us to review the success of treatment at the level of all of our patients. For example, by examining the results of quality registers, factors predisposing to complications can be identified. By comparing pre- and post-treatment assessments of patients’ ability to function, we can assess when and in what situation surgery will provide the best possible health benefits. Quality registries can therefore also be used to improve the timeliness of treatment.

Better quality of life with artificial joint surgery

Based on the results of the Omavointi questionnaires, after the first-stage joint replacement surgery of the hip, knee and shoulder, the patients’ experience of their own health improves significantly. On average, patients have recovered well three months after joint replacement surgery, and the overall outcome of surgery is very good. In hip, knee and shoulder patients, the score has improved by as much as 85-90% after one year of surgery.

However, when looking at average scores, it is good to remember that individual variation in results can be large. An examination of the average results gives an indication of the expected improvement in functional capacity, as well as when surgery typically ends.

Please note that the decision to undergo surgery and the results obtained by surgery are always individual. A certain survey score does not guarantee a surgical decision, and surgical treatment does not guarantee a certain result. Planning the treatment and its timing requires extensive overall assessment and individual consideration in conjunction with the treating physician. The outcome of treatment is also influenced by many individual factors. Examination of the average results gives an indication of the expected improvement in functional capacity, as well as when surgery typically ends.

The text has previously been published in Finnish in the Nivelposti journal 1/2025. Read the whole magazine here (issuu.com).