Finnish Society of Telemedicine and eHealth

What Finnish Society of Telemedicine and eHealth does

The Finnish Society of Telemedicine and eHealth (STeHS, legal name Suomen Telelääketieteen ja e-Health seura ry, Business ID 1628913-6) is a Finnish non-profit registered association founded on 11 January 1995 and headquartered in Helsinki. It is the second-oldest national member of the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth (ISfTeH) and one of the founding members of that global body. STeHS's stated mission is to promote the health of the Finnish population through telecommunication and digital health, positioning itself as a key influencer and trendsetter in telemedicine and eHealth both in Finland and internationally. The society does not develop or operate a proprietary technology product; rather, it functions as a portfolio of community assets.

Its core products and services are: (1) the annual eHealth conference series, now in its 31st edition (eHealth2026 scheduled for 1–2 October 2026 at the University of Helsinki's main building), historically rotating across Helsinki, Oulu, Kuopio, Turku, Joensuu, Espoo, Vantaa, Tallinn, and Helsinki–Stockholm cruise ships; (2) the Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare (FinJeHeW, ISSN 1798-0798, Publication Forum Level 1), the only Finnish peer-reviewed journal in the field, co-published since 2009 with the Finnish Association for Social and Health Care Informatics; (3) the Special Competence in Healthcare IT qualification program for physicians and dentists, established in 2012 and recognized as the world's first of its kind, co-maintained with the Finnish Medical Association and Finnish Dental Association; (4) webinar programs (including ISfTeH international webinars); (5) annual eHealth Recognition Awards recognizing research, innovation, and honorary contributions; and (6) conference publications and a 30th anniversary commemorative book.

STeHS's business model is a hybrid non-profit model with three primary revenue streams: recurring membership dues (individual and organizational/community members), one-time conference and event participation fees (€420–€525 standard tiers, €95 student, €850 exhibitor packages, processed through a Paytrail-powered online shop), and publications. Additional revenue comes from grants and co-funding, including Nordic Council of Ministers funding for the 30th anniversary eHealth2025 conference. Distribution is direct via the telemedicine.fi website, the members-only extranet, and in-person events — no third-party resellers are used. The society serves healthcare professionals (physicians, dentists, nurses, researchers), digital health researchers and academics, health technology companies and startups, and Finnish public-sector healthcare organizations and ministries.

Name

Finnish Society of Telemedicine and eHealth

Legal name

Suomen Telelääketieteen ja e-Health seura ry

Website

https://telemedicine.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Finnish Society of Telemedicine and eHealth (STeHS) is a 30-year-old Helsinki-based non-profit professional association that convenes Finnish digital health professionals via its annual eHealth conference (31st edition in 2026), the FinJeHeW peer-reviewed journal, and the world's first healthcare IT specialization program for physicians and dentists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Professional Association Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAOAJAF

Health Information Management (EHR) & Medical Office Administration

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Healthcare Allied & Clinical Support Training

Keywords

• Telemedicine professional society
• EHealth conference series
• Healthcare IT certification
• Digital health publications
• Medical professional membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Conference and event participation fees: The society sells tickets to its annual conferences and seminars (eHealth2026, eHealth2025, eHealth2024, etc.), with pricing tiers for members, non-members, students, and exhibitors. Conference tickets are sold through the online shop.
2. Membership dues: The society collects membership fees from individual and organizational (community) members. Both individual and organizational membership options are offered, each with distinct membership benefits.
3. Publications and materials: The society publishes the Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare (FinJeHeW), conference publications, and a 30th anniversary commemorative book (available free for download).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

STeHS is a Finnish non-profit professional association that promotes telemedicine and eHealth through its annual international eHealth conference series (currently in its 31st edition), the peer-reviewed Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare (FinJeHeW), webinar programs, and the world's first Healthcare IT Special Competence certification for physicians and dentists. The society also publishes conference proceedings, recognizes contributions through annual eHealth awards, and provides a members-only extranet for individual and organizational members.

Product overview

The Finnish Society of Telemedicine and eHealth (STeHS) is a professional membership organization that serves as a key influencer in telemedicine and eHealth in Finland and internationally. Rather than offering a unified software platform, STeHS operates as a portfolio of professional services including the annual eHealth Conference Series (now in its 31st edition), the Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare (FinJeHeW) scientific journal, webinar programs including ISfTeH international sessions, the Special Competence in Healthcare IT qualification program, annual eHealth Recognition Awards, and conference publications. The society focuses on promoting education, research, development, and networking in digital health rather than commercial product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eHealth Conference Series Annual international conference series covering telemedicine and eHealth topics, including scientific presentations, networking, and exhibitions. The 31st edition (#eHealth2026) focuses on effective digital solutions in healthcare and social welfare services. Targeted at healthcare professionals, researchers, and health technology companies.
• Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare (FinJeHeW) Peer-reviewed scientific journal published jointly with the Finnish Association for Social and Health Care Informatics since 2009, covering research on eHealth and eWelfare. Freely available online. Targeted at digital health researchers and academics.
• Special Competence in Healthcare IT (Terveydenhuollon tietotekniikan erityispätevyys) Professional qualification program for physicians and dentists in healthcare IT, established in 2012 as the world's first of its kind. Co-maintained with the Finnish Medical Association and Finnish Dental Association. Targeted at physicians and dentists seeking certified healthcare IT expertise.
• Webinar Programs Webinar series including ISfTeH international webinars and national webinars on topics such as digital health effectiveness and remote services. Targeted at healthcare professionals, researchers, and digital health stakeholders.
• STeHS Membership (Individual and Organizational) Membership program for individual healthcare professionals and organizational (community) members, with distinct membership benefits including access to the members-only extranet, conference discounts, networking, and professional development. Targeted at healthcare professionals, researchers, health tech companies, and healthcare organizations.
• Conference Publications Proceedings and publications from the National Telemedicine and eHealth Seminars, freely downloadable from the society's publications page. The archive dates back to 2008. Targeted at researchers and conference participants.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth (ISfTeH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995STeHS/FSTeH is a founding member of ISfTeH, the global umbrella organization for telemedicine societies. Finland is the second oldest national member. The society collaborates with ISfTeH on joint conferences (e.g., eHealth2018 as a 23rd ISfTeH International Conference), webinars, and global chapters. STeHS leaders serve on the ISfTeH Board (e.g., Pirkko Kouri as Vice President and Outi Ahonen as Board member for 2026–2028).
• European Connected Health Alliance (ECHAlliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTeHS partners with the European Connected Health Alliance, which connects digital health ecosystems across Europe. The partnership supports cross-border knowledge sharing and collaboration in connected health.
• IHE InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationSTeHS collaborates with IHE International on interoperability standards in healthcare IT. The society's former chairman Arto Holopainen was a founding member of IHE Finland.
• Nordic TelemedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTeHS is a partner in the Nordic Telemed network, facilitating collaboration among Nordic countries on telemedicine and eHealth topics. The society co-organized the Nordic eHealth 2016 conference with the Nordic Council of Ministers.
• Finnish Association for Social and Health Care Informatics (Sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon tietojenkäsittely-yhdistys)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTeHS co-publishes the Finnish Journal of eHealth and eWelfare (FinJeHeW) with this association since 2009. The journal is the only Finnish peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field (ISSN 1798-0798, Publication Forum Level 1).
• Vaikuttavuusseura ry (Impact Society)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe eHealth2026 conference is jointly organized by STeHS and Vaikuttavuusseura ry. The partnership brings together the digital health and health impact evaluation communities.
• University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe eHealth2026 conference is held at the University of Helsinki's main building in central Helsinki. The university is a key academic partner for the event.
• Helsinki and Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (HUS / Helsingin ja Uudenmaan hyvinvointialue)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUS is involved in the organization of the eHealth2026 conference and is listed as a collaborating partner. HUS also participates in conference exhibitions.
• Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Social Affairs and Health co-organized the eHealth2025 30th anniversary conference and provided funding through the Nordic Council of Ministers. The ministry is a key government stakeholder in the society's activities.
• Oulu University Hospital / Oulu UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOulu University and Oulu University Hospital co-organized the eHealth2021 conference and have been key partners since the healthcare IT specialization program was established there. Prof. Jarmo Reponen serves as professor of health information systems at the university.
• Laurea University of Applied SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaurea co-hosted the eHealth2023 conference at its Tikkurila campus in Vantaa. The society's president Outi Ahonen is a principal lecturer at Laurea.
• Kuopio University HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKuopio University Hospital was the local host for the eHealth2019 conference in Kuopio, handling communications, practical arrangements, and site visit organization.
• Games for Health FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGames for Health Finland organized eHealth Game Jam (hackathon) events at the eHealth2017 and eHealth2018 conferences, bringing together healthcare professionals and game developers to create eHealth applications using gamification.
• Telemedicine Society of India (TSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSI collaborated with ISfTeH and STeHS on the ISfTeH webinar 'Telemedicine to AI: Building India's Digital Health Ecosystem' (February 2026), featuring Indian digital health experts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Swedish Society for Digital Health / eHälsa: Swedish peer professional society promoting digital health adoption; comparable Nordic membership model and conference activities in an adjacent national market.
• Norwegian Centre for E-health Research (NSE): Norwegian research center advancing eHealth evidence and policy — a regional peer with comparable mandate in the Nordic digital health ecosystem, though organized as a government-affiliated research center rather than a member society.

Broad incumbents

• International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA): Global umbrella organization for health informatics associations, with national society members worldwide. Comparable structure to STeHS but at international scope spanning health informatics broadly beyond telemedicine.
• HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society): Global non-profit membership organization for health information and technology professionals. Comparable conference, education, and publishing portfolio but at vastly larger scale and broader scope than STeHS.

Direct peers

• American Telemedicine Association (ATA): US-based non-profit membership association advancing telehealth through advocacy, education, and an annual conference. Closely analogous in mission, structure, and member-driven GTM to STeHS, but at US scale.
• European Connected Health Alliance (ECHAlliance): Multi-stakeholder alliance connecting digital health ecosystems across Europe; active STeHS partner. Closely aligned in convening role for digital health communities, though organized as an alliance rather than a national society.
• International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth (ISfTeH): Global umbrella organization for national telemedicine societies; STeHS is a founding and second-oldest member. Directly comparable as a non-profit membership association convening telemedicine professionals worldwide.
• Finnish Association for Social and Health Care Informatics (STTY): Co-publisher of FinJeHeW with STeHS since 2009; Finnish non-profit professional association in health informatics. Highly comparable mission and member base in Finland.
• Nordic Telemed: Nordic network facilitating cross-border telemedicine collaboration and co-organizing events such as Nordic eHealth 2016. Direct regional peer and partner of STeHS.

Others

• Finnish Medical Association (Suomen Lääkäriliitto): Co-maintainer of the Healthcare IT Special Competence program and partner society. Adjacent enabling organization that lends institutional credibility and physician membership infrastructure to STeHS programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ehealthfinland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Finnish Society of Telemedicine and eHealth