Jan Wiklund is a medical consultant, occupational health specialist and director of Costaklinikka, center located on the Costa del Sol, specializing in medical care for Finnish and English-speaking foreign patients. Costaklinikka was one of the first centers to implement Delonia’s approved eReceta private prescription solution. Its experience, volume of activity and proactivity in use have made the clinic and its director a valuable partner for Delonia. We wanted to talk to Jan Wiklund about his experience with Delonia’s certified digital private prescription, his skills with the technology and his medical practice in Spain.
Please, could you talk a little bit about yourself?
“My name is Jan Wiklund and I am a Finnish occupational health physician. In Spain I practice general medicine in a clinic that I have opened mainly for Finnish patients. In our facilities we have a laboratory for tests, we do rapid tests, and we do simple operations. The most important thing for us is that we invest as much time as necessary in our patients when they come here for the first time. This detail is vital in reaching a correct diagnosis. In our team we have two nurses, two customer service people and eight doctors. The person who manages the clinic is my son, and he does a great job.”
What were Costaklinikka’s beginnings like?
“I dreamed of setting up a clinic in Spain. I have been visiting this country for many years, the first time was 20 years ago. My dream was to work here. Four years ago I thought it was time to make my dream come true. During the pandemic I had time to set up the clinic in Spain.”
Sun and warmth
Why did you choose Spain in particular and not Portugal, France, Italy…?
“Those countries are also good but Spain was a country I knew well because I have been visiting it for 20 years. In this country there is light, the atmosphere is warm, which is very good for my health, also for my mental health. It is as if the whole year is summer. As you know, I am Finnish. Summer in Finland is like winter here ( Fuengirola). Spanish people are very nice.”
Did you know something similar to eReceta before you used our solution?
“Yes, I had used another e-prescribing and before that we only used paper prescriptions. The first e-prescribing system we used was not working well. The customer service was not the best. So I wanted to change the system. I started looking on the internet for other options and that’s how I found eReceta. I tried other solutions but I could see that they didn’t work as well. I asked them some questions and they did not answer me. With the eReceta I got an answer right away. It was very easy for me to choose this solution. The customer service is very good, which is important to me. Also, the program is very good.”
What are the benefits of using the eReceta?
“Just enter the patient’s name in the system and you have drug information to help you when writing the prescription. For the patient, it’s a very easy way to have the prescription in a safe place, then they just go to the pharmacy and show the prescription. If you do a remote visit, you can’t give the patient a paper prescription. The eReceta allows you to email the prescription to the patient. Sometimes the patient needs a second prescription, and it’s very easy to resend another one.”
“My staff is happy with the eReceta solution because there were problems with the previous system. This program has features that are very appropriate for the medical profession. It makes it easy to find medication. The most important thing is that the system keeps improving, and our requests help it to continue to evolve. The most important thing is that eReceta’s managers take into account the needs of their customers.”
Efficiency and service
Was it difficult to switch from the old system to the eReceta solution?
“No, because the solution is simple to implement. We made some changes to the program. For example, it was easy to transfer patient information from our medical system. Of course, we already had a database.”
Does eReceta help to continue treating patients when they return to Finland?
“Not very much. Of course, most of our customers are tourists and eReceta does not work in Finland. Our medical system allows us to administer prescriptions for Finland.”
Would you recommend the eReceta solution to other doctors and clinics?
“Without hesitation! It is a very good system and I am very happy with it, especially because it is very easy to use. You don’t have to invest a lot of time to make a prescription. The customer service is very efficient. If you have any questions or problems, they solve them right away.”
Information Technology
During lunch, you told us that in Finland, in your function as a doctor, you did a lot of work related to IT…
“At the age of 10 I already had a computer, I started programming very young, I made games… I closely followed the new computers that came onto the market. Everything related to Information Technology (IT) has been a pillar in my work as a member of the medical profession. I understand a little about computers and software, I know when I am looking at a good product and when I am not. A program should be designed to help the professional, not to make life more complicated. I am happy that we are now using programs that allow us to save time.”
What are the plans for the future of Costaklinikka?
“We are trying to offer more services. At the moment most of our patients are Finnish people but we are taking on English-speaking patients. Our problem is that we have outgrown the clinic in terms of available space. We are looking for a new location for the clinic. We are also preparing the infrastructure for remote consultations via the Internet. We already have eight doctors, so we need to expand both the hours and the space.”
Joy
Could you tell us a little bit about what life is like in Finland?
“As I said, here there is a lot of light and the temperature is pleasant. In Fuengirola life is quiet, you don’t have to be running around. Of course, I miss Finland all the time, especially the Finnish summers, the countryside, the lakes… I miss relatives that I can’t see as often as I would like. But I am very happy in Spain, I have my clinic, a job I like, and in a pleasant environment.”
Was it very difficult for a Finnish doctor to set up a clinic in Spain?
“If I have to tell you if it was difficult or easy, I would say it was rather easy. Of course, from the beginning we wanted to do everything the right way. If you do it that way from the beginning, step by step, following the regulations, it’s not that complicated. The Spanish authorities are pleased when they see that you are doing everything correctly. We did a lot of things, it’s not something I would recommend (laughs) if you don’t have the time and patience. Besides, we had experts who helped us in the process. Everything was perfect, so maybe we also had God’s help.”
In closing we would like to share a little anecdote. During our visit to Costaklinikka our hosts took us to a typical Finnish buffet, which was also vegetarian. Jan Wiklund is an open-minded person and we took advantage of his willingness to subject him to a tough (and friendly) questionnaire during the meal. When asked what was more important to be healthy: a balanced diet or regular physical exercise? His answer was immediate and clear-cut: “to be happy“.
