I am currently working in expert role in the development of digital patient services. My workday is almost entirely spent with digital tools. Most of my day is spent with Microsoft Teams, either in various meetings or in groups working on matters related to digital development.

Another main tool I use is Microsoft Outlook, as I receive a large volume of emails throughout the day that require immediate or slightly delayed responses. All these issues communicated via email relate to the development of digital services in various areas.

A third major digital tool that occupies my work time is the patient information system, Apotti. I have attended a builder training organized by Apotti’s American provider, Epic, which means I can build minor developments in the patient information system that serve our own department. This planning and construction take up a significant portion of my work time. It is also very rewarding when I see the final product being used in patient care. As a nurse, one wants to see the results of their work, and although I am not currently doing clinical work, this aspect also brings me joy.

Traditionally, social media presence has not been important for public healthcare. There is no real need to advertise to attract more patients, as there are already too many patients compared to resources. However, the importance of social media has grown even in the public sector. We want to reach people and present ourselves as a reliable source. Social media can also be used to guide people towards self-care or the right services.

In my personal life, I have almost completely given up using social media. Previously, I had Facebook and Instagram and browsed them actively every day. However, I realized that browsing them was a waste of time and found following others’ lives through social media to be false and superficial. The same person who celebrated the beauty of life on social media with pictures and texts could be depressed and tired of their life when we met face to face. Social media can also cause unnecessary envy when comparing oneself to others.

The assignment asked to choose five new digital tools that I could utilize in my work. Below are my choices with brief justifications.

ChatGPT

Artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing, whether we want it to or not. We must learn to use it in such a way that we remain in control, with AI serving as a tool. In healthcare, there are countless opportunities to exploit the capabilities of AI. It can automate many work processes and free up people to do work that AI cannot perform. Data protection must be especially rigorous in healthcare; no sensitive information should leak into the open network, and in principle, all healthcare information involving patient data is sensitive.

YouTube

I could utilize YouTube by uploading various educational videos for either professionals or patients. These videos could then be viewed openly by everyone, or they could be targeted to only be visible to a specific group that has the access key. YouTube can also be used to watch various expert lectures and seminars, thereby developing one’s professional expertise.

Mobiilivarmenne

This is an especially important tool in healthcare. It enables secure authentication for digital healthcare services. Healthcare data is critical, and reliable strong authentication is very important.

Miro

Miro is a visual collaboration platform that allows teams to work together, even when they are physically in different locations. Working in Miro is easy and it is designed to be interactive, mimicking a situation where all participants are physically in the same place. It is an excellent tool for designing and coordinating patient care processes, for example.

Slack

This would definitely be a communication platform worth trying. It is a similar platform to Teams, but simpler and therefore easier to use. Slack focuses more on communication in workplaces to enhance collaboration and communication, whereas Teams also offers extensive capabilities for processing and sharing files in addition to communication.

SELF EVALUATION

This section provided broad views on various digital tools and social media platforms. As stated in the assignment, the primary use of social media is mainly for casual conversations between people during their free time. However, social media could be used more extensively for educational purposes, either to teach patients to care for themselves or to educate professionals on patient care. In this section of the course, I learned about the vast array of social media and digital tool platforms available. Naturally, the use of these tools in my own work is limited by the licenses that a large organization provides to its employees. It is interesting to see, however, that there are potential challengers to Microsoft.