Tietoevry’s Lakehouse Analytics Customer Co-operation Network boosts collaboration to leverage Lifecare Lakehouse Analytics, a data and AI solution for interpreting health and social care data.
The two-day Knowledge Management Network Days (Tietojohtamisen Verkostostopäivät in Finnish) event in late-September was a welcome opportunity to hear from some of the most visionary minds advancing knowledge management in the public health and social care sector in Finland. The event demonstrated that the wellbeing services counties have recognized the value of knowledge management, and significant strides have been made on this frontier in recent years. The main takeaway was that harnessing the full potential of knowledge management necessitates strategic and operational changes, as well as effective change management. Thus, the presentations ranged from covering how to get better data by improving data input (i.e., how health and social service professionals use the systems that generate the data) to implementing models (e.g., OMOP, Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership) aimed at achieving strategic goals such as national and international data comparison in the long term.
The event was held at Lappia Hall, a historic building designed by the renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. This building is part of the Finnish cultural heritage, justifying the cost of the renovation, which ultimately reached EUR 22 million. In the same vein, the wellbeing services counties are also evaluating the cost-effectiveness of their current architecture of solutions for data ingestion, storing, and data engineering. The key question is whether the current architecture should be maintained at all costs or if adopting new, more cost-effective solutions could bring savings in the long haul.
The lakehouse approach – a modern approach combining the best elements of data lakes and data warehouses - was frequently mentioned during the presentations when discussing how public organizations get the most out of their data assets. For example, Katja Antikainen, Director for Oma Häme (the wellbeing services county of Kanta-Häme), talked about OMOP (Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership) data modeling made possible by Lakehouse Analytics, while Henna Puputti, Director for Keusote (the wellbeing services county of Central Uusimaa), presented on patient care pathways modelling also powered by Lakehouse Analytics. A presentation from the Finnish Tax Authority (Verohallinto) detailed the transformation into a data-driven organization using Databricks Lakehouse.
The event showed that despite facing financial pressures, wellbeing services counties have demonstrated incredible leadership in understanding the importance of data-driven insights. At many private firms, the evolution of knowledge management architecture has been organic, with individual units implementing their own unique solutions. In comparison, the counties have planned their knowledge management investments and solutions in a more centralized and strategic manner than many companies do.
As wellbeing services counties are adopting modern tools, they are building capabilities to become pioneers in the use of AI and advanced analytics. This may sound paradoxical to some, as it is often the private instead of public sector claiming to drive innovativeness. However, as the days demonstrated, the counties have been able to attract thought leaders who are ambitiously driving change and challenging the way of doing things. Also, there was a call to action to work together to share best practices and knowledge, such as work on AI models.
Another key takeaway from the event was the importance of collaboration in advancing knowledge management. The event served as a reminder that transformation is not an isolated effort - it requires shared knowledge, partnerships, and collective action. The providers of public health and social care services can work together intimately to innovate and share best practices—something that is not possible for private companies to the same extent.
As Oma Häme’s Katja Antikainen pointed out, there are different forums for fostering such collaboration. The Lakehouse Analytics Customer Co-operation Network—led by Tietoevry Care —was mentioned as one of the key initiatives for co-operative development. The network has been designed to enhance collaboration across the counties to get the most out of Tietoevry Care’s Lifecare Lakehouse Analytics. This data and AI-driven analytics solution enables different user groups to make sense of fragmented health data.
As we look to the future, the message from the event is clear: while the road to data-driven transformation may be long and challenging, goals are achievable with the right tools, leadership, and collaboration. The event inspired many organizations to take actionable steps forward, proving that the future of knowledge-based management is not just a vision—it’s already unfolding in our day-to-day work.
Lifecare Lakehouse Analytics - Actionable insights from health data
Rosmarie Kallankari serves as Customer Success Lead at Tietoevry Care’s Data and Analytics unit. With a decade of experience in data-driven consulting and development projects within the health and social care sector, Rosmarie leverages her expertise to enhance client outcomes. In her current role, she collaborates closely with wellbeing services counties in Finland to maximize the value of their data assets with analytics and AI solutions.