About us

The Handbook for Healthcare is for people working in all categories of healthcare in both public and private sectors. The handbook can be used in places like hospitals, community health centres, residential or day care homes, dental surgeries and also by healthcare workers in the community. Certain sections of the handbook are also relevant to those taking care of a partner, relative or friend at home. The Handbook for Healthcare is aimed at users who have a basic level of education.

As a healthcare worker, everything you do must always be based on scientific knowledge and proven experience. According to the “Patient Safety Act” (SFS 2010:659) healthcare workers are personally responsible for their own actions. In some situations, responsibility is shared, for example where there is a need for clear instructions to be available to care givers.

The Handbook for Healthcare aims to ensure equal access to safe, high quality healthcare. Easy access to the latest knowledge and practices is provided. The handbook aims to offer comprehensive guidelines for work within health and medical care so that quality and safety levels are maintained and improved throughout the country. The Handbook for Healthcare is based on the latest clinical knowledge (best practice, evidence, science and proven experience). The guidelines it gives include methods and tools for treatment and care. Resources can be more effectively deployed by reducing the need for every organisation to develop its own guidelines, routines, memos and instructions. On the initiative of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, local care manuals and handbooks were first coordinated in the 1990s into a common Handbook for Health and Medical Care. This national handbook has been available on the Internet since 2002 and is managed by Inera AB.

Continuous updating

A publication date is given at the bottom of each page of the handbook so you can see how up-to-date the contents are. Whenever a text is updated, the previous version is archived by Inera AB. Product-specific details such as shelf life, handling and cleaning instructions are according to the manufacturer’s or local recommendations.

The contents of the Handbook for Healthcare are quality assured. Authors and fact checkers who are specialists and experts in their fields work together to create the contents of the handbook. Inera AB also has an editorial team who are responsible for the handbook’s contents. Opinions and suggestions concerning the Handbook for Healthcare can be sent to the editors using the Contact Us page: Kontakta oss. 

The Handbook for Healthcare’s editors work in close cooperation with a national council and its network in order to ensure the quality and consistency of the contents and gain feedback from health practitioners. The council consists of representatives from regional and local authorities and from institutes of higher education.