Statens helsetilsyn has formally concluded that the private clinic chain Austad Diagnostikk has breached central statutory requirements in the specialist health services. Following an extensive investigation that included a review of nearly 200 patient records, regulators determined that the company’s commercial model—which markets ultrasound screenings to asymptomatic individuals—violates the Specialized Health Services Act and the Health Personnel Act.
A Lucrative Business Model Built on Routine Ultrasound for the Healthy
Austad Diagnostikk operates 15 clinics across Norway, spanning locations from Bergen and Tromsø to Oslo and Kristiansand. The enterprise has grown rapidly, pulling in nearly 75 million Norwegian kroner in revenue last year—more than double its 2021 earnings. Thousands of Norwegians pay between 2,990 and 4,890 kroner annually for these private health checks, often enticed by advertisements on social media promising preventative effect.
Yet this commercial approach has drawn intense criticism from public healthcare professionals for years. Long before the formal investigation commenced, medical leaders and public health officials warned that scanning healthy patients without clinical symptoms or documented medical necessity exploits underlying anxieties about personal health. Sjur Lehmann, Director at Statens helsetilsyn, signed the comprehensive 25-page ruling which outlines profound deviations from established medical standards.
Severe Violations of Professional Care and Statutory Regulations
The regulatory review found that Austad Diagnostikk failed to meet the rigorous standard of care required under Norwegian law. According to the findings, marketing these ultrasound packages as preventative checkups misleads consumers, leading to unnecessary financial expenditures and wasted time for patients who have no underlying medical complaints.
Inspectors found instances where clinics performed ultrasound scans on patients whose symptoms and ailments were not suited for ultrasound evaluation, without adequately informing them of the diagnostic limitations. Statens helsetilsyn summarized that these accumulated deviations constitute a serious breach of the Specialist Health Services Act section 2-2, alongside violations of the Health Personnel Act concerning resource utilization, patient communication, and marketing practices. In addition to these care-standard breaches, the oversight agency concluded that the chain lacks the proper regulatory authorizations required to operate laboratory and X-ray services.
Relief and Warnings from Public Health Leaders
Municipal Chief Physician Cato Innerdal in Molde, who spent years publicly urging health authorities to investigate the chain, welcomed the definitive ruling. Innerdal has long argued that commercial models relying on private screenings generate unwarranted pressure on the public healthcare system, which must step in to evaluate and follow up on incidental, harmless findings generated by private clinics.
“I think it is good that we now have a clear clarification from Statens helsetilsyn,” Innerdal stated, emphasizing that the primary objective is ensuring that healthcare services offered in Norway remain professionally sound and grounded in documented utility. He noted that the decision is expected to carry broader ramifications for other commercial operators offering similar preventative health screening packages across the country, serving as a firm reminder that medical marketing must maintain a rigorous evidentiary foundation.
Next Steps and Corporate Response
Statens helsetilsyn has issued a strict deadline of November 1 for Austad Diagnostikk to formally account for how it intends to rectify these regulatory violations and adjust its promotional activities. Gunnar Austad, the company’s general manager, told broadcaster NRK that he had just received the final conclusion and would review the documentation thoroughly before issuing a comprehensive comment. While previous criticisms have been dismissed by company leadership—who have argued that their services provide essential benefits to patients—the regulatory intervention now forces a mandatory review over commercial health screenings in Norway.
