Iiris Hörhammer appointed as docent in eHealth cost-effectiveness at University of Eastern Finland

Research Fellow Iiris Hörhammer, DSc (Tech), at the Aalto University Department of Computer Science has been appointed as docent in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies at the University of Eastern Finland. ‘I am honoured to receive this title, which focuses on health services research in the domain of eHealth cost-effectiveness,’ Hörhammer tells. 

eHealth refers to the utilisation of information and communication technology in healthcare. Examples of eHealth solutions are electronic prescribing, patient access to their online health records, and symptom checkers. 

‘The research conducted in the Senior University Lecturer Sari Kujala’s group has been integral to achieving this milestone,’ Iiris Hörhammer tells. 

Previously, economic sustainability and user-centric design have not often been mentioned in the same sentence. Today, it has become increasingly clear how the two intersect: users and the organisational environment in which eHealth is implemented make all the difference.  

‘Research shows that findings on eHealth cost-effectiveness from experimental settings often do not replicate in real-world settings with diverse users and organisations. Recognising this and engaging users in design processes is crucial for developing economically sustainable eHealth services. Ultimately, the success of eHealth implementation hinges on understanding how and for whom the technology is cost-effective in a specific context,’ Hörhammer explains. 

‘Together with Sari Kujala and the research team, I have had the opportunity to explore how patients’ and healthcare professionals’ expectations and experiences shape their use of and benefits from digital health technology, and how this, in turn, affects healthcare effectiveness and equity. Our Nordic collaboration in the NORDeHEALTH project further underlined the essential role of context in eHealth success,’ Hörhammer tells. 

‘Now, what we need to do is make sure that scientifically sound methods for user-centric design and cost-effectiveness evaluation are absorbed in eHealth development and implementation to make sure we get value for our digital investments, including those that build on AI,’ Hörhammer continues to look to the future. 

Before her research fellow position at the Department of Computer Science, Iiris Hörhammer has served as the research director of HEMA (Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Management) at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Aalto University. Currently she holds also a researcher position at the Department of Health and Social Management at the University of Eastern Finland and of a Visiting Scholar at the University of Helsinki Department of Public Health and at Austrian University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology (UMIT).

This article was originally published on the Aalto University website on 09.10.2025