My current job and use of different digital tools
I work in a health center as a diabetes nurse. We use the Lifecare electronic patient information system, where all information related to the patient’s treatment is recorded. Through the Lifecare system, we also have access to the Kanta service, which is an excellent tool for transferring information between different care units and contributes to people’s holistic care. For example, blood tests taken in occupational health care can be found through Kanta, which allows us to avoid taking the same tests again within a short period of time.
Medicine and care supplies orders are also made electronically, through the Osti system.
In the treatment of diabetes, we use a new digital tool Libre view, which is the blood sugar censoring program. The patients’ blood sugar data are transferred via the cloud service to the application, where I can view them. The program makes excellent reports on the diurnal fluctuations of blood sugar, so it is easier to react to deviations. In the treatment of diabetes, digitalization has developed rapidly. There are already different types of smart insulin pumps on the world and they are being developed all the time so that they can react to the blood sugar fluctuations of a diabetic.
On the YouTube application, I watch some videos that describe various procedures. For example, last time I watched a video about using a PICC catheter. Instructions presented in the form of a video or picture are often easier to understand than by reading. Many health care units have published instructions for various functions there, which is an excellent thing that makes work easier. Of course, when using YouTube, you have to be critical about which information is safe and correct.
I only got to know the LinkedIn application within a year during my studies, but now I use it regularly. I hope that through this I will get information about new jobs that I could apply for in the future and create networks with healthcare experts.
Teams is used daily as a communication tool for our work unit. We have agreed together that it should be open for everyone so that information flows quickly. We used to use Skype, which I think was better. It was always open or at the bottom of the computer screen. You noticed the new message immediately because it flashed information on the computer screen. Teams does not have this feature, but of course Teams is otherwise a much more versatile service. Most meetings are also held via Teams, which is a very good thing. Everyone can participate in joint meetings from their own workplace or from home.
There are no other social media tools in our work unit. Our health center is not on Facebook, Instagram or other similar services. I think it should be. Already from the point of view of informing the population, it would be good if information was shared there as well. In addition, it could bring healthcare closer to citizens, when they could follow our activities through social media. I believe that employees could also be better attracted to our health center through social media.
New Social Media tools
The Mural tool is brand new to me. After a quick look, I think that in my own work it could be used in various workshop-type development projects that need to be implemented remotely. With it, the visuality of cooperation is emphasized even with remote connections. An example could be the development of a new treatment path, which is implemented multi-professionally between different treatment units. With the help of Mural, development could be motivating.
However, anything new requires learning, as does using this tool. First, every user should know how to use the tool so that it can be utilized as well as possible. Organizations may also have certain restrictions on which applications can and can be used remotely.
I have previously read about AnswerGarden and seen summaries made with it. However, I haven’t used it. It could be used to stimulate thoughts, brainstorm and give feedback in different work unit groups. In your own work unit, it could be used, for example, to collect development ideas or how the previous work week went. It visually brings out important things, described in one word, that are easy to summarize. A good tool for managers. The tool is free and the user can share the survey with others, for example as a link. We have to try this in our own teams group, if it is allowed in our organization.
TikTok could be a functional social media tool that could be used to share information about our work unit’s activities. With short videos, healthcare activities could be brought out in a positive way. Of course, in healthcare, you have to be careful about what you publish. Health care activities are often too official and have a negative tone. Social media could make the activity more transparent and at the same time useful health information could be shared with social media followers. At the moment, our work unit is not involved in any social media activities, so TikTok will probably not be the first application we can use.
I’m also reading about the Miro tool now for the first time. Miro is a whiteboard that supports collaboration, which can be used to carry out, for example, brainstorming-type development activities online. It is said about the Miro application that you should learn how to use it well before you start, in order to get the benefit you need from it. The brainstorming method should be used more in the development activities of the working community. With it, the entire work team is made to work together and the development thus takes place cooperatively, and is not only dictated by the management. There are also tips on how to use it online: https://www.eoppiva.fi/mirovinkit/
The Todoist app promises to help you better organize your daily/weekly/monthly tasks. For free time, this application could be functional, so that planned matters can be taken care of. In my own work, the matters to be dealt with are clearly displayed in the appointment book, from which at the end of the day you can see whether everything was dealt with or whether things remain to be dealt with later. When working with people, schedules often don’t work. The Todoist app can also add pressure by reminding you of undone tasks that you haven’t done in a while.
I believe that digital tools are still used less in healthcare, for example for development, than in many other fields where they are commonplace. Usually, the digital tools that come to our use are already planned and our caregivers only have to implement them, in which case their shortcomings are usually only noticed. Social media tools have also increased in healthcare, but there are many work units where they are not in use. The information is updated quickly and updating the information on social media requires a person to take care of it, and in today’s health care labor shortage, at least the time of the nursing staff is not enough for updates.
Self evaluation
Through this task, I learned how many different digital tools exist to facilitate remote work, and this is only a small part. It’s great to notice that almost the same things that used to require physical presence can be done digitally. Social media is already strongly involved in everyday life in other work units and they know how to use it well. I hope that someday I too could be part of a work community where healthcare know-how is actively brought to the attention of citizens, also through social media.