Valtteri Rissanen is a Medical Doctor who previously worked at Nummela Health Center in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County. In his clinical work, he experienced first-hand how the everyday reality of healthcare has changed. In 2025, he joined the Gosta team as a Medical Science Specialist.
The clinical workload of healthcare professionals has increased steadily in recent years. Administrative responsibilities take up a growing share of the workday, often extending working hours and leaving less time for recovery. Often, the burden does not come from a single task, but from numerous small, recurring demands that fragment the workday and often spill beyond it.
Valtteri’s experience reflects this reality. Documentation, certificates, medical statements, referrals, and constant movement between systems break the day into pieces. Patient information is spread across several tools, requiring clinicians to search, verify, and manually assemble a complete picture. Each switch disrupts focus and adds cognitive strain.
Valtteri has made a conscious decision to keep his work within working hours. Evenings are not spent completing statements or catching up on unfinished tasks. While this boundary brings clarity, it also highlights how tightly scheduled the workday has become.
“On the busiest days, breaks are often the first thing to be sacrificed, as the goal is to finish everything before leaving,” Valtteri says. “Over time, this becomes exhausting, even if the workday does not officially run longer.”
When time is saved, its value would be felt immediately. A few additional minutes could mean that appointments would no longer need to be rushed because of documentation, and clinicians could be fully present in their interactions.
“If I had a bit more time each day, I would give it to patients,” Valtteri comments. “Sometimes, I would also use a short moment just to breathe during the day.”
Even small, repeated time savings could make a meaningful difference.
“Just a recurring five-minute time saving per patient would already matter. It would make it possible to stay on schedule and take proper breaks. The workday would feel much more manageable.”
When Valtteri started using Gosta in fall 2024, the impact quickly became evident across multiple aspects of his work. Administrative work did not simply shift elsewhere or become difficult in a new way. Instead, it became lighter.
The first improvements were seen during patient appointments. There was more time to pause, listen, and talk with patients without the constant pressure of falling behind schedule. At the same time, the quality of work improved. When information was easier to compile and documentation flowed more smoothly, tasks were more often completed correctly the first time, reducing the need for later revisions.
“The benefits extended beyond my own work,” Valtteri says. “Clearer documentation saved time for nurses and others involved in care assessment. The entire care pathway began to function more smoothly.”
Over time, the most noticeable impact was the absence of backlog. Statements and forms no longer had to be completed in the evenings. There was also no longer a need to allocate separate days for administrative catch up. Instead, this time could be used for patient care.
Through the Clinician’s Lens is a series that highlights the voices of those delivering care. Valtteri’s experience demonstrates that meaningful change does not always require major reforms. Sometimes, it starts with a few minutes saved each day. Minutes given back to patients, to the quality of care, and to clinicians’ own wellbeing.
