Digital healthcare in Norway
5,4 M
inhabitants
7,9 %
of GDP in 2022 are allocated to healthcare spending
357
municipalities
Primary care provided by municipalities and specialized care by regions
Norway has a semi-decentralized healthcare system. Norway's four regional health authorities are responsible for specialist healthcare and manage all hospitals and other specialist providers. 357 municipalities are responsible for primary care, including general practitioners.
The healthcare system is tax-financed. All residents are covered by the national insurance scheme (NAV), which is managed by the Norwegian Health Economics Administration (HELFO).
Norway is a leader in the field of digital health, possessing important national cohorts and an environment conducive to innovation in the healthcare sector. It has several national health databases accessible for research purposes on the Norwegian Institute of Public Health website.
Although not a member of the EU, Norway participates in many European health and digital health projects, and is a member of the eHealth network. Norway leads the PREVENT NCD project, and contributes to initiatives such as Xt-EHR, XpanDH, xShare or TEHDAS II (non-exhaustive list).
National health data portal for citizens
Since 2011, the Norwegian health authorities have set up Helsenorge.no, a public health portal designed to share information and dialogue about health with Norwegian citizens. It is designed to give patients and their loved ones easier access to healthcare services, and to help them manage and improve their health while strengthening the patient's role.
How to access the Norwegian digital healthcare market?
1 Information on the Norwegian market from Invest In Norway
Invest In Norway is the official agency for promoting foreign investment in Norway. It offers a wide range of services and an extensive network to help foreign companies set up and run their businesses. As the first point of contact for entrepreneurs, Invest In Norway provides information, assesses opportunities and connects foreign companies with relevant networks.
2 Classification of medical devices by the Norwegian Medicines Agency
The classification of medical devices takes place in two stages. The first is to determine whether the product can be considered a medical device. If the answer is yes, the next step is to determine the product's risk category.
More information about the classification of medical devices on the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
website.
3. declaration of conformity of medical devices by the Norwegian Medicines Agency
The declaration of conformity is the manufacturer's written statement that the device meets the requirements of the regulations applying to the device, and that it can bear the CE mark. Being a member of the European Economic Area, Norway is subject to regulation 2017/745 on medical devices, making CE marking mandatory for medical devices.
More information about the declaration of conformity on the website of the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
4. deployment and network of healthcare professionals
This collaboration platform enables healthcare professionals to share personal and healthcare data in a secure and authorized manner, and providers to offer their services. By becoming an authorized third-party provider, any supplier can offer its services to all members of the healthcare network.
Government authorities
In charge of evaluating and regulating healthcare products.
Innovation platforms and clusters
They bring together and facilitate the incubation of new technologies.
Training
Universities and their groups that train and support digital healthcare innovations.