Digital healthcare: Norway's path to smarter and greener hospitals

Imagine visiting your doctor without leaving your living room, or having your chronic condition monitored through a simple app on your phone. This isn't science fiction – it is the future of Norwegian healthcare, and it's happening right now. But there's a twist: while going digital promises to make healthcare more efficient and accessible, it also offers an unexpected bonus for our planet.

The double challenge

Norwegian hospitals face a fascinating puzzle. On one hand, they need to maintain the high standard of care that Norwegians expect. On the other, they must dramatically reduce their environmental footprint. 

Hospitals are energy-hungry giants, among the largest public consumers of electricity and producers of waste. The Norwegian Directorate of Health has set an ambitious roadmap targeting sustainable, low-emission healthcare services by focusing on digitalisation, reducing travel, improving energy efficiency in buildings, and embracing circular economy principles.

Enter digital transformation: the technology revolution that might solve both challenges at once.

What does digital healthcare look like?

Think of elderly patients managing their diabetes from home with digital monitoring tools, or rural residents consulting specialists via video call instead of driving hours to the nearest hospital. 

Programmes like eHealth Agder 2030 are pioneering integrated digital platforms that connect hospitals with municipal care services, allowing seamless coordination between different healthcare providers.

Remote monitoring systems can alert healthcare workers to problems before they become emergencies, reducing unnecessary hospital visits. Digital platforms help doctors and nurses share patient information instantly, avoiding duplicate tests and procedures. 

Home follow-up programmes use welfare technology to support patients recovering in their own homes rather than occupying hospital beds.

The roadblocks

But rolling out these innovations isn't as simple as flipping a switch. Norwegian healthcare faces several significant hurdles.

First, there's the compatibility problem. Hospitals and municipal health services often use different digital systems that don't talk to each other. It's like trying to connect an iPhone to an old Nokia. The technology exists, but the connections are frustrating. Data formats vary, and security firewalls sometimes block useful coordination tools.

Second, people matter more than technology. Research shows that managers' attitudes toward digital tools significantly influence whether new systems succeed or fail. If hospital leaders don't trust or understand the technology, staff won't embrace it either. There's also the challenge of training: healthcare workers are already stretched thin, and learning new systems takes time they often don't have.

Then there's the sustainability paradox. While digital healthcare reduces travel and paper use, it also demands significant energy for servers and data centres, creates electronic waste, and requires constant hardware upgrades. The environmental benefits aren't automatic – they require careful planning and sustainable procurement practices.

Finally, there's the equity question. Not everyone has equal access to digital technology or the skills to use it. Elderly patients, rural communities, and those with limited digital literacy might struggle with remote consultations or health apps. If we're not careful, going digital could create a two-tier healthcare system where some patients get left behind.

The promise

Despite these challenges, the potential is enormous. Remote monitoring could cut transport emissions while improving chronic disease management. Shared digital platforms might reduce hospital readmissions and resource waste through better coordination. Norway's welfare technology programme, running since 2013, provides proven models that could be scaled up nationwide.

Success requires more than just good technology. It demands strong leadership, proper training, and regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with patient privacy and security. Most importantly, it requires keeping patients at the centre – ensuring that digital solutions enhance rather than replace the human touch that makes healthcare meaningful.

The goal isn't to replace doctors with algorithms or turn healthcare into a purely digital experience. Rather, it's about using technology thoughtfully to make healthcare more accessible, efficient, and yes – more sustainable. For Norway, the path forward involves weaving together digital innovation with environmental responsibility, creating a healthcare system that's not just high-tech, but also future-proof.

References:

• Helsedirektorat (2025). Roadmap for Sustainable, Low-Emission and Climate-Adapted Health and Care Services.
• OECD. (2025). Decarbonising Health Systems Across OECD Countries, OECD Health Policy Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5ac2b24b-en.
• Saunes, I. S., Durvy, B., & Litvinova, Y. (2024). Norway: Health system summary, 2024. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, WHO Regional Office for Europe. https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/docs/librariesprovider3/publicationsnew/hit-summaries-no-flags/hit-summary-norway-2024-3p.pdf
• Oksavik, J. D., Vik, E., & Kirchhoff, R. (2024). Digital leadership: Norwegian healthcare managers' attitudes towards using digital tools. Digital health, 10, 20552076241277036. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076241277036Key aspects influencing the scaling of digital remote care: A case from a Norwegian hospital region. (2023). Norsk IKT-Konferanse for Forskning Og Utdanning, 2. https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/nikt/article/view/5676

Read also:

Norway exports salmon with wounds, but that's not the real problem

How can we explain the rising rate of preschool children diagnosed with autism?