More higher education students use FSHS services

About half of higher education students mainly use Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) health services, said the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a press release on Thursday referring to a survey.

According to the Finnish Student Health and Wellbeing Survey (KOTT), in universities of applied sciences -UAS (Polytechnics), the proportion of students using FSHS services nearly doubled, from 24% to 43%, between 2021 and 2024.

The FSHS is responsible for providing health care and medical care services within the scope of primary healthcare as well as health promotion services for all degree students in higher education institutions in Finland.

“The conclusion to be drawn from the survey results is that UAS students have started accessing FSHS services in good numbers since they became entitled to FSHS services in 2021”, said FSHS Medical Director Teija Kulmala.

“The rate of UAS students using our oral health services increased. There was also an increase in the proportion of UAS students who felt that the oral health services provided were adequate. FSHS visit data also suggest that students in universities of applied sciences have a higher need for oral healthcare than those in other universities”, Kulmala added.

Three in four students found that the care they received from the FSHS had been beneficial.

For UAS students, the proportion of those who considered their care beneficial rose by 8 percentage points compared to the previous survey.

Nevertheless, over 40% of students felt that they had received inadequate FSHS services in relation to their needs.

In addition, only one in three students said they were always able to easily contact their treatment unit. This number was similar in the previous survey.

The Finnish Student Health and Wellbeing Survey (KOTT) was conducted in spring 2024 and was answered by 3,600 students aged between 18 and 34 from higher education institutions all over Finland.