Experiences of the digitalisation in my own field
When I was a little child, the world was different thinking about the digitalisation. When I went to school, our family got a first computer without Internet. All information came from books and the other people. I bought my first mobile phone, when I was eleven years old. I could call, send messages, and play three games on this mobile phone without colors. Nowadays I can do so much more on my phone, smartphone. This little device includes calls, all kind of messages, emails, camera, Internet and many applications. I can be contact to other people on many ways and for example handle banking matters and navigate. My children have got the smartphone before first class. Before this kind of digitalisation parents must trust children that they can do their job.
I’m working in the neonatal intensive care unit at Kuopio University Hospital. I have worked there since 2010. I think my ten years career have gone fast, but I have seen, how nursing science have changed thinking about the digitalisation. At the beginning of my career, I used papers and wrote down vital parameters, observations and treatment measurements. I moved those documents on a patient information system. Thankfully now I do my records straight on the patient information system, which have developed for intensive care units. It’s quite simple and quick to handle information. Data from monitors, mechanical ventilators and syringe pumps goes straight into the patient information system. Doctors and nurses can follow trends and record data of vital parameters, ventilator settings and drugs. This increases patient safety. Paperless is environmentally friendly too. If our ward need nurses to work, message comes on Secapp application. Of course, a nurse can decide if she/he wants to use application and come to work. A couple of years shortage of nurses was handled by phone calls.
Future ideas
I believe the technology and the digitalization will help health care in future more and more. It can be one way which help a growing shortage of nurses. It’s good to remember that health care needs nurses and doctors although the digitalization offers means to do job “easily”. It also promotes patients self-monitoring like Social and Healthcare reformation in Finland would want to boost. Artificial intelligence (AI), for example robots will bring more opportunities to medicine and nursing science.
Risks of open digital society
The digitalization doesn’t offer always good things. It brings some risks which we must notice. It’s important to keep up to date security for example a password must change at certain intervals and not keep the same password on all platforms. People have to themselves take care of privacy. As we see on the James Lyne’s video GBS of applications knows for example where we are. It’s important to teach children to maintain security and privacy. Long frame times are harmful both children and adults. Applications like Family link offer help frame time of children.
I studied the Eu’s data privacy law or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in one course of digital health. It promote individuals’ control and rights over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business. This law offer us protection: I have a right sort out how my personal data is used. At work I collect only the information that I need and is necessary. Furthermore, hospitals need the own Data Protection Officer.
My self evaluation
I started my digital health studies last year, so the subject area was quite familiar. The biggest challenge is my English. I haven’t written English texts for long time and that’s why it takes time. I learn to build blog. Orientation materials were very interesting to watch. Materials open my eyes more, how big data affects us and how the world changes with the digitalization.
I commented on the following blogs:
Hello.
I agree with you that using measurements that patients have made at home would be an interesting way to develop health care services. Many people today use devices that measure our vital functions and activity in a variety of ways. Transferring this data for use by healthcare professionals could be a useful way to develop healthcare practices. It would be great if the patient could send data from his own device to health care. We could use AI to analyze the results and, if necessary, alert the doctor or nurse to any abnormal results. In this way, the assessment of the need for treatment and the organization of treatment would be enormously improved. This way we could also support clients’ commitment to promoting their own health.
Hi!
Thank you for your thoughts. We must find a new ways to work, because we don´t have enough employees in the future. I think technology solutions will help us in our work, but technology does not replace the nurses.
I work with elderly and technology is coming more and more also to the elderly care. Today we have multiple programs to use, but do we have enough integrations with all those programmers? We already have virtual home care, medicine robots, safety wristband, sensors etc. All those are good technology solutions, but I think we must still work hard to get all those to our everyday working life.
Hi Anna-Miia!
You have great examples about how things have changed in both civilian and professional lives. Over twenty years ago, we had to manage without instant messaging, navigation, mobile gaming, social media and so on. Many things had to be done manually and written down in paper when working. We have more and more opportunities all the time, we just need to use them carefully and appropriately. In the sector of healthcare and welfare, digitalization has made a huge impact in effectiveness and availability, everyone just need to be aware of the risks and act securely with systems and services, not to mention the actual care work.
Hi. I got my first cell phone since I was 13. I was born in the early ’80s. I’m sure we’ll think the same way about a lot of things. The development has been wildly rapid in digitalisation.
Hi!
It is true, that for the past ten years digitalization has changed health care a lot. Technology has taken huge leaps forward enabling this constan transformation and invigormation. I agree with you that AI will be used in the near future more and more in health and medical care. People will need to take more liability for their own health monitoring and so increase awareness of health issues they might face. For example in these kinds of situations it would be ideal to use AI ad as a tool to give recommendations concering ones health problems and when necessary the AI would advise to see a health care personnel.
Hi Anna-Miia!
Thank you for your interest writing! You point out an important thing, even though digitalization is increasing, the care sector still needs nurses and doctors and cannot be fully replaced. Digital methods cannot be utilized for all nursing, and it is important to take this into account when designing services. There are many opportunities associated with the increase in digitalization, but also risks that our professors need to consider for our part. I wonder if old people can keep up with the digital leap?
Hello, thank you for this blog post. I went through a lot same thought processes and found this really helpful. I agree with developing new digital tools to help with staff shortage (that has become even worse as time of writing this post).
I think we will see more robotics and maybe digital help applications to help someone perform tasks that they are not well trained for. Maybe someone less educated could then help nurses that way? Food for thought. 🙂
Hi!
Your blog post is very good. It’s absolutely true that the development of digitalization has been extremely fast. Can’t keep up with going along. Digital skills are increasingly needed in working life as well.