Information about neuromodulation therapies for patients

Access to neuromodulation therapy and related laboratory tests and imaging studies in specialised medical care requires a referral from a physician.

According to the freedom of choice specified in the Health Care Act, a person in need of public specialised medical care services may choose their place of treatment to a limited extent. The patient must discuss their choice of treatment unit with the referring physician. According to the Patient Directive, the patient can also choose treatment from any EU country and receive compensation for it the same way as for their treatment in Finland.

Read more about access to treatment:

• Neurocenter: deep brain stimulation (DBS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy and Neuro-HIFU
• Pain Clinic: spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation
• Clinical Neurophysiology: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS)
• Psychiatric Neuromodulation Unit: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), ketamine infusion therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) for psychiatric conditions 

Ensuring patient safety is an integral part of neuromodulation therapies. Any obstacles to treatment are always checked by the referring physician and in the treatment units before treatment and in connection with treatment-related examinations.

Read more about patient safety.

Patient instructions for different neuromodulation methods are provided by the treatment unit prior to entering treatment. Some of the instructions are also available on the Hoito-ohjeet.fi website:

• Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) (Clinical Neurophysiology )
• Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) (Clinical Neurophysiology )

The units belonging to the Centre of Excellence in Neuromodulation Therapies have electronic service channels in place for different purposes for each patient group and neuromodulation treatment group. Electronic service channels supplement medical care and appointment visits by making it possible to monitor the treatment on a remote basis. Depending on the service channel, the service channels allow you to complete treatment-related surveys, read patient instructions, complete symptom and health measurement forms, and communicate with the treatment provider. The services will be opened on a per-need basis and will be announced on a client-specific basis.