Oral healthcare in Kymenlaakso and Satakunta wellbeing services counties

Starting point – challenges in time management

In oral healthcare, the pace of the workday is precise – every minute matters. Appointments have set schedules, but in reality, the day is always in motion: patients may arrive late, urgent visits are often needed, and some treatments take longer than planned.

Axel is widely used in oral healthcare across both the Kymenlaakso and Satakunta wellbeing services counties. In Kymenlaakso, dental care is provided in seven locations, with one of the largest being the Ratamo Center in Kouvola. In Satakunta, Axel supports operations at six sites - including Satasairaala, Rauma, Eura, and Pori - and the number is still growing as new locations come on board.

Both wellbeing services counties found that the traditional appointment scheduling system was no longer sufficient to manage operations as a whole. Healthcare professionals needed real-time visibility into who had arrived, who was being treated, and where each patient was in their care process. At the same time, they wanted to reduce manual coordination and make the most efficient use of existing resources.

"When we can instantly see who has arrived and who is running late, our workday immediately feels more organized."

Solution – flexibility and visibility for oral healthcare

The wellbeing services county of Kymenlaakso implemented Axel in oral healthcare to gain better visibility and control over patient flow and professionals’ work. The system supports both individual appointment schedules and shared, so-called “group calendars,” which are widely used in the region. With these calendars, patients can be called in according to their arrival order to whichever professional is available. This solution has streamlined operations and reduced idle times.

Professionals can also coordinate as a pair to decide who will use Axel at any given time and monitor room status directly from door displays, which provide an instant overview – showing whether a room is available, occupied, or with a patient inside. This enhances teamwork and ensures patients move efficiently from one location to another, eliminating the need to search for patients or inquire about room availability. The system supports each team’s unique working methods without sacrificing flexibility.

"It’s reassuring that Axel adapts as flexibly as we do in patient care – while not everything runs to the minute, the system keeps up."

Axel has also simplified schedule management. The system allows you to define how many minutes late a patient can be, and even block check-in entirely if this limit is exceeded. This streamlines daily operations in oral healthcare, where every minute counts.

When a patient arrives for their appointment, they check in using the self-service kiosk, which directs them to the correct waiting lobby. Axel provides real-time updates to healthcare professionals, showing exactly when a patient has arrived and how long they have been waiting.

If it’s a group calendar day, patients are called in the order they arrive. The nurse or dentist reserves the patient in Axel before calling them in, allowing others to see that the patient is already in the clinic and cannot be called in elsewhere. Patients move seamlessly through different stages of care - for example, from the dental hygienist to the dentist – without needing to check in again. Axel also supports the “all-at-once” model, where multiple procedures are performed during a single visit.

Outcome – enhancing efficiency and streamlining care processes

Axel has brought clarity and calm to busy everyday operations in both wellbeing service counties. Patient flow is now transparent and controlled, allowing staff to see the day's status at a glance. Manual work has decreased, allowing professionals to focus on what matters most – engaging with patients.

Axel also adapts seamlessly to different operating models, working equally well in traditional appointment-based environments and in flexible group calendar practices. The solution ensures work remains organized and situations are predictable, making daily operations in oral healthcare truly smoother.

"With Axel, we have gained structure and visibility in our daily operations – without it, our work would be much more demanding."