Kela, Omakanta and Keva
Kela administers social security for people living in Finland. I have been covered by Kela’s financial support, for example, while studying for my AMK degree and having my first child. Kela supports families with children with several benefits. The family leave reform came into effect in the fall of 2022, but when I had a child, the reform was not yet in force. Currently, our family receives child home care allowance, because the child is not yet in the day care, and child benefit, which is paid until the child is 17 years old. Other family benefits include maternity package or money, maternity allowance, parental allowance and paternity allowance. Parents also have the option of flexible parental allowance until the child is 3 years old. This means that Kela compensates for the loss of income if the parent works no more than 80% of the working time. As a student, I must also pay the university student healthcare fee, so I can use YTHS services. I have to pay a fee even if I have occupational health care available.
As a Finnish citizen, I have been able to obtain a European health care card issued by Kela. It allows me to receive the necessary treatment in EU and EEA countries if I suddenly fall ill during my trip.
From the Omakanta service, I can see my health information, prescriptions, vaccination information, etc. The service requires strong identification with such as bank credentials. I have used the service a lot, both to view my own information and to view my son’s information. Parents can use the service on behalf of a child under 18 years old.
Keva is Finland’s largest occupational pension insurer, and through it you can apply for a pension or calculate how much pension you should receive. According to my calculations using the pension calculator, my retirement age is 67 years 10 months. I am currently on home care allowance, however, according to the earnings I receive from my current salaried jobs, my estimated pension amount at that time would be around 1900e. However, I’m not familiar with pension taxation specifically, so I don’t know what the net savings would be. I hope that when I retire, I will already be debt-free, which would result in fewer mandatory expenses, and I would have already gained some property.
Amazon and shopping online
Amazon is an American giant online store that sells goods and various services, such as e-books and music. When I browse Amazon myself, I find the amount of goods and the comparison of products difficult. However, price comparison is easy. Additionally, when browsing the goods, you can choose to view, for example, only “Climate Pledge Friendly” products. The online store is not very attractive in appearance, but you can find good deals on certain items. Amazon is a giant company which is expected to operate reliably to maintain its success. If the site didn’t work according to its promises, the company wouldn’t have been able to grow this big, and millions of users wouldn’t choose to purchase products and services from Amazon. However, when it comes to big companies, you wonder if they have some secrets hidden.
GSKPro
GSK is a multinational pharmaceutical company that conducts its own research and development work to develop new drugs, vaccines, and medical devices for various diseases and health problems, as well as for prevention. Additionally, GSK strives to incorporate the latest technology in its research and development efforts. I chose to highlight GSK in this assignment because the company provides a significant amount of actionable, evidence-based information for healthcare professionals through its GSKPro website. The website not only contains information about GSK’s products, but also informative articles, assignments, tests, and material that can be ordered. I have personally used the GSKPro site in my work with infection control and vaccination activities and found it to be useful.
Digitalization and a digital gap
Today, the majority of people use technology and virtual services and devices. However, there are still some who cannot or choose not to use them for various reasons. Has our society forgotten about this minority? From time to time, we come across opinion pieces in newspapers that express concern about situations where individuals are unable to pay their bills at the bank or make cash payments at certain stores. Moreover, the service hours of Kela and tax office have been reduced, and some municipalities no longer offer these services at all as most of them have been shifted online.
In my opinion, the trend is good. Why would a visit always be required when today, through strong identification, you can run errands at home exactly when you have a good time? However, I also believe that, in the name of equality, local services should be preserved. For example, the visually impaired need the help of a customer service representative. To my delight, I have noticed that many elderly people are enthusiastic about digitalization. For instance, digital assistive devices used in home care have been well-received in many households. It’s important to note that these devices do not replace all physical visits and interactions.
The digital competence wheel
I got the highest score for safety (70%). Next, with almost the same percentages, information (64%) and communication (65%). I got the lowest percentages for productivity (51%). I think the results describe my skills well, although I was quite critical. I consider it important that information security and privacy remain protected. This is also important in my work in the social and health industry, where sensitive information and patient materials are handled.
I would have expected that I would have received even higher points for communication, because in my work I constantly have to communicate virtually via e-mail, messages, intranet telegrams, etc. It was expected that productivity brings the lowest percentages, because even though I’m also interested in creating digital content and using technology versatilely, I haven’t done it very much recently and I don’t think I’m very good at it. Even in my work, this area is clearly less important than the others.
Self reflection
While working on the assignment, I pondered how much of today’s world revolves around digitalization. Nearly everything, from doctor visits to banking and shopping, can now be done from the comfort of one’s own mobile device or computer. However, this trend raises concerns about the digital gap, as many people with disabilities or vision impairments still require assistance to access all digital services. Hopefully, in the future, more user-friendly and assisted digital services will be developed.
The assignment also prompted me to consider the operations of online stores and how digital service producers handle large sums of money. The downside is that companies that fail to prioritize digital development may struggle to succeed in today’s market.
Reply on Tommis’ blog: https://blogi.savonia.fi/realtommiauvinen/digi-citizen/
Hello,
I agree with you that buying online can really save you a lot of money and price comparison is much easier. Sure, I try to keep in mind the fact that I prefer domestic, and I hope that the company behind the online store is, for example, aware of human rights and environmental issues – depending on the content of the online store, of course. I think finding a reliable online store is easy these days, because people’s bad experiences spread quickly on the internet.
It is also true that most people who do not use digital services are old and as the younger generation grows up, people will be more accustomed to using digital services in the future. However, it is also true that there are people with disabilities or weaknesses, for example the blind people, who may find it difficult or even impossible to use services such as banking online. Regarding these groups of people, I worry when we talk about the digital gap.
Reply on Vanesa’s blog: https://blogi.savonia.fi/vkora/digi-citizen/
Hello,
It was interesting to read about Danish health applications and the pension system. In Finland, there would certainly be use for a nationwide application like MyDoctor in Denmark.
You’ve got a great score on the digital competence wheel, wow! You must be a real professional. And that’s what you also wrote in your text, that your professional life is built around digital.
I agree with you that there are challenges for people who do not use digital services or devices. It is problematic that they may not be able to get services from elsewhere or it is very inconvenient, for example due to limited opening hours. In addition to old people, people with disabilities or seriously ill people, for example, may not be able to use digital services without help.
Reply on Johanna’s blog: https://blogi.savonia.fi/johanhuh/digi-citizen/
Hello,
While doing this task myself, I have noticed the same as you, that there really is a lot of information available. It is also true that the more services and programs you use, the better and more aware you become.
I myself have used a variety of different online stores and also bought several trips abroad online. Fortunately, the Internet has made it easier to compare prices, price content, and experiences/reviews. Bad experiences and unreliability spread quickly on the internet. However, what I think is a more negative aspect of shopping online is that the company itself and its values are often forgotten. When buying from a physical store, I may pay more attention to the company itself – such its domesticity, operating models, and values. This should also be more important when shopping online.