Iceland Health and the Danish company Frameshift have launched a collaboration aimed at strengthening Iceland Health's analytical capacity, supporting better decision-making, and improving oversight of costs and outcomes in the Icelandic healthcare system.

The goal of the collaboration is to make better use of Icelandic data and compare results with data from extensive Danish healthcare databases. This will make it easier to assess treatment outcomes, monitor cost trends, and support more effective prioritization in healthcare services.

Denmark provides a good basis for comparison in this context. The two countries have similar Nordic healthcare systems and comparable disease burdens. Denmark has also built one of the world's most powerful healthcare databases, where information on diagnoses, treatments, medications, clinical outcomes, and social factors can be linked at the individual level. This makes it possible to track treatment outcomes over long periods and compare developments between countries.

Danish experience shows that the value of such data depends on how it is used. Datasets deliver the most value when the question is clearly defined and the analysis is designed with a specific decision in mind.

This is where Frameshift comes into the project. Instead of standardized summaries, Iceland Health can receive analyses tailored to the specific tasks being worked on at any given time. This allows better use of existing information, and comparisons with Danish data become possible where relevant.

Among other things, the collaboration will examine how waiting times and access to diagnosis and treatment affect people's health, quality of life, workforce participation, use of healthcare services, and long-term costs.

The analyses will also be used in the development of contracts and payment systems, ensuring that public funds are directed where they provide the greatest benefit to individuals and society.

First project focuses on endometriosis

At the outset of the collaboration, the focus will be on specific, well-defined projects. The first project concerns endometriosis.

By comparing with Danish data, it will be possible to examine changes in health-related and social factors among individuals with endometriosis before and after treatment, as well as cost trends and whether differences in access to services explain varying experiences and outcomes. This knowledge can become an important foundation for more targeted allocation of resources and the development of services for individuals with endometriosis.

A collaboration that supports better decisions

The collaboration is part of Iceland Health's strategy to strengthen the institution's analytical capacity and increasingly base decision-making on data, research, and international comparisons. The goal is to improve services, make the best possible use of public funds, and support a healthcare system that delivers the greatest benefit to patients and society.

Frameshift was founded by Ólafur B. Davíðsson and Ragnar P. Kristjánsson. Both hold PhDs from the University of Copenhagen and have extensive experience in research, statistics, and analysis of health and public health data, including from Danish research institutions and deCODE genetics. The company has worked with, among others, Coloplast/Kerecis, Sidekick Health, Reykjavik University, Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, and other domestic and international partners.