The digitalization in my own field of expertise and my future ideas – North Savo Wellbeing Services County Administration. I work in the administration of the Wellbeing Services County of North Savo. I have a so-called vantage point in the midst of a major transformation. In the significant changes within the social and healthcare sector, the role of digitalization is becoming increasingly important. In 2023, we transitioned from the North Savo Hospital District to the Wellbeing Services County of North Savo. The administration is extensive, and the change itself has been enormous. The wellbeing services counties have been formed from multiple sectors and operational units. This major administrative transformation has required significant efforts, particularly in the implementation of new systems, the harmonization of information systems, and the development of staff competencies.
In my work as an administrative secretary in social and healthcare administration, I consider risk management and data-driven decision-making to be particularly significant aspects of digitalization. Risk management ensures compliance with all legal regulations and safeguards the secure handling of social and healthcare data. Additionally, data-driven decision-making becomes even more critical in economically challenging times, as it provides reliable and up-to-date information to help allocate scarce resources efficiently and make financially sustainable decisions and solutions. In the current situation, characterized by staff shortages, an aging population, and financial challenges, the importance of data-driven leadership is increasingly emphasized.
I consider digital skills and continuous staff training to be especially important, as technological development is rapid and will continue to accelerate. Enhancing digital knowledge and skills is essential to keep up with the progress of digitalization. However, I believe we are still in the early stages when it comes to utilizing artificial intelligence. Its potential is not yet fully visible, especially in administrative work. To fully harness the benefits of digitalization, I believe it is essential to ensure the uniformity of information systems. This development is underway, and systems are being standardized, but I still see challenges, especially in administrative information systems, due to their lack of user-friendliness. Many systems are rigid and, so to speak, disconnected from one another.
The risks of open digital society and GDPR. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sets strict requirements for the collection, storage, and management of personal data, particularly in the social and healthcare sectors. This regulation is therefore highly relevant to my work. In the social and healthcare field, highly confidential health information is processed, which means that the requirements for data protection and security in my profession are extremely stringent. This means special diligence for employees in my field as well as for stakeholders. All practices and systems must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This is required throughout the entire EU.
In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), only the necessary amount of data, including patient data, may be collected, following the principle of data minimization. Similarly, data retention is restricted and should only occur for the period specified by regulations. Confidentiality obligations are also absolute. GDPR ensures, for example, a patient’s right to access and correct their own data and, in certain situations, to request the deletion of their information.
However, in data-driven management within the social and healthcare sector, anonymous data is needed to develop operations and meet service demands. The use of this data is regulated by the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data Act. Digitalization and its data security naturally involve many risks. I strongly believe that, especially in the current global situation, cybersecurity is an extremely crucial factor. In my work, I consider data security and risk management to be the most important factors. These matters are addressed in administrative work on a daily and weekly basis. They are part of the executive team’s annual cycle, and risk management is an essential aspect of social and healthcare administration.
For example, in everyday life, the concept of big data, familiar from this course’s video links, accumulates widely through various channels. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) aims to give individuals control over their personal data. For instance, I can request the removal of my information from a service provider’s registry. However, I find it genuinely challenging to prevent the massive accumulation of data. My greatest concern in this regard is for the elderly. My aging parents, for example, have very limited digital skills, which poses a data security risk. They increasingly need support in navigating digitalization.
Chat GPT (AI) artificial intelligence service. I have personally used the ChatGPT app even before my master’s level studies at a university of applied sciences. I have noticed that I tend to use ChatGPT more than, for example, Google when searching for information. In general life, I don’t mean studies in this context. To my surprise, I have also noticed myself even having conversations with ChatGPT, as the AI asks follow-up questions whenever I ask about a current topic or seek information on something that’s on my mind.
AI in this form has quietly and relatively quickly integrated into my personal life, and I have noticed that it is quite comprehensive compared to other ways of searching for information. However, in my work in the administration of a wellbeing services county, AI itself does not yet have a significant foothold. Of course, digitalization is otherwise very prominent in the administration of the social and healthcare sector. Due to my age, I have been able to follow the development of AI and digitalization in general. I notice a huge difference when comparing, for example, my parents to myself, and then, on the other hand, my own teenage children. For them, all these digitalization and AI opportunities feel much more natural, whereas I find myself being more critical of AI, for instance. This is probably explained by the rapid development of AI and the fact that it’s difficult to even imagine the kinds of possibilities AI can bring to people’s work and personal lives.
I asked ChatGPT, for example, how AI can assist in cancer treatments. Additionally, I inquired about how AI could be utilized in the administration of the social and healthcare sector, as it relates to my work. I found the answer to my cancer treatment question to be clear and concise. However, I felt that I had already been able to grasp these possibilities, at least for the most part. For example, AI can enhance the interpretation of imaging studies such as X-rays, MRI, and CT scans, as well as the analysis of pathological samples.
The question directly related to my own work, on the other hand, gave me more to think about and introduced new perspectives that I hadn’t necessarily considered in detail before. I have previously dealt with data-driven management and had already assumed that AI would be applicable in this area. However, workforce scheduling and resource optimization also seem to be significant and impactful use cases for AI. Similarly, budgeting, which is relevant to my work since I am involved in the annual budget planning process, is another area where I see AI playing a major role in the future. AI has not yet been utilized in budgeting, but I believe this is an area where its use will increase significantly. AI cannot replace human interactions and human qualities in the workplace.
Reflections of Learning. I have found this course very interesting right from the start. It integrates well with other courses, although at this early stage of my studies, I have only taken a few. However, I am already beginning to see a clearer overall picture of the various opportunities that digitalization offers.
In this section, my main area of interest, perhaps influenced by my work, lies particularly in data-driven management and risk management in the context of digitalization. Overall, I am interested in the possibilities of data-driven management in administration. This is because, in my work in social and healthcare administration, I have observed how current economic challenges and cost-saving measures highlight the importance of digitalization in enabling more financially efficient solutions. This has also sparked my interest in exploring digital tools for financial management. For example, how could we find digital solutions to support the budgeting process?
Additionally, the orientation materials were particularly interesting, especially regarding Big Data and cybersecurity. In relation to my work, I am especially interested in preparedness in cybersecurity, contingency planning, and developing a risk management plan. This is because the current global situation is quite unsettling.
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