Estonia

Healthcare System

Estonia’s healthcare system is the Health Insurance System, described as “solidarity-based health insurance”(1) and the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF) is the public law organization responsible for providing the organization of national healthcare services in accordance with the Health Insurance Act, the Health Services Organization Act and other legislation.

The body responsible for healthcare and all social policies in Estonia is the Ministry of Social Affairs. The Health Board is its child agency. Estonia’s Public Information Act details the terms of compliance to request information not already publicly available. The request is exempt from covering expenses if the request is made for research work.

Administrative or Claims Data

Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF) Database

Sponsor, manager or home institution: Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF); The Ministry of Social Affairs

Type of information: Medical contacts (physician visit, hospital stay, etc.), including diagnostic tests, prescription medicine, medical devices, and treatment.

Source of Information: Based on claims data from all Estonian healthcare providers that have signed a contract with EHIF and deliver EHIF-financed healthcare.

Data level: Patient level.

Number of Records: 1.3 million people, i.e. 95% of Estonia's population.

Date Range: 2004 onwards.

Link/Contact for data request: Contact information.

Registries

Estonian Cancer Registry

Primary purpose: A complete and reliable registration of incident cancer cases in Estonia.

Sponsor, manager, or home institution: The National Institute for Health Development

Available databases: The Health Statistics and Health Research Database and the Statistics Estonia Database

Number of records: Every registered Estonian citizen i.e. 1.3 million people.

Date range: From 1968 to 2019.

Data source: “Reporting of cancer cases is compulsory to all physicians working in Estonia who diagnose or treat cancer. Data are submitted to the registry also by forensic pathologists-experts” (3).

Cancer areas of interest (ICD): All sites (C00–C97); All sites except other skin (C00–C97, except C44); Lip, oral cavity and pharynx (C00–C14); Digestive organs (C15–C26); Respiratory and intrathoracic organs (C30–C39); Female genital organs (C51–C58); Male genital organs (C60–C63); Urinary tract (C64–C68); Brain and central nervous system (C70–C72); Leukaemia (C91–C95); Lymphomas (C81–C85/C96); county-level lymphoma data include Hodgkin’s disease as well as non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Link/contact: Contact information.

Statistics Estonia Database

Primary Purpose: To provide information about demographic, social, economic and environmental development of Estonia for the purposes of development plans and projections, policy planning, scientific and applied research, and making informed decisions.

Sponsor, manager, or home institution: Statistics Estonia, responsible for coordinating the system of classifications and for data governance in the country.

Type of information: Datasets on causes of death and death rates.

Data level: National level.

Number of records: Every registered Estonian citizen i.e. 1.3 million people.

Date range: From 1989 onwards.

Data source: Estonian Causes of Death Registry

Cancer areas of interest (ICD): All sites (C00–C97); All sites (C00–C97); Lip, oral cavity and pharynx (C00–C14); Oesophagus (C15); Stomach (C16); Colon and rectosigmoid junction (C18, C19); Colon (C18); Colon and rectosigmoid junction (C19); Rectum and anus (C20, 21); Liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (C22); Pancreas (C25); Respiratory organs (C30–C39); Larynx, trachea, bronchus and lung (C32-C34); Melanoma of skin (C43); Breast (C50); Cervix uteri (C53); Other parts of uterus (C54, C55); Ovary (C56) Prostate (C61); Kidney (C64); Bladder (C67); Lymphoid/haemotopoietic tissue (C81-C96); Leukaemia (C91–C95);

Link/contact: Contact information. --> Sources for quotes:

(3) https://en.tai.ee/en/r-and-d/registers/estonian-cancer-registry -->

Electronic Health Records

Health Information System

Primary Purpose: Allowing healthcare service providers to see and share patient information and healthcare data.

Sponsor, manager, or home institution: Ministry of Social Affairs (sponsor); Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre - TEHIK (manager)

Number of records: 1.3 million people i.e. any Estonian citizen who used a healthcare service since 2008.

Data source: Data inserted by healthcare providers.

Date range: 2008 onwards.

Link/contact: Contact information.

Clinical Practices Guidelines

Action Plan for Cancer Control

Primary purpose: Reducing the number of cancer cases and deaths, and improving the quality of life of cancer patients.

Level: National level.

Cancer ares of interest: All.

Latest Policymaking Initiatives

Healthcare Costs 2019

Institution: National Institute for Health Development

Primary purpose: Provide information about healthcare costs for anyone interested in healthcare.

Type of information: Total national health expenditure, comparisons to previous years, share of public sector and other details, household expenditures, and healthcare insurance fund expenditures, among others.

Level: National level.