A major Swedish healthcare region has decided to scrap the Millennium electronic health record system entirely. The system was originally planned for implementation across Västra Götaland, one of Sweden's largest healthcare regions. Officials paused the rollout in November last year and have now made the final decision to abandon it completely.
The coordination group delivered its final report on Monday. Their recommendation calls for permanently terminating the Millennium implementation. This marks a dramatic reversal for what was supposed to be a major digital upgrade for Swedish healthcare.
Regional authorities now plan to pursue an alternative system. The replacement could cost up to eleven billion Swedish kronor extra. That equals approximately one billion US dollars in additional spending.
Why did Swedish officials abandon a major digital health project after years of planning? The system faced technical challenges and implementation difficulties that proved too substantial to overcome. Healthcare leaders determined starting fresh with a different system made more sense than trying to salvage the troubled Millennium rollout.
This decision represents a significant financial setback for Swedish healthcare modernization efforts. The substantial additional costs will likely impact other planned improvements in the region's medical services.
Västra Götaland serves over 1.7 million residents in western Sweden. The region includes Gothenburg, Sweden's second-largest city. Healthcare officials must now find a reliable electronic records system that can handle the needs of hospitals and clinics across this populous area.