I work as a biomedical laboratory scientist in a clinical laboratory in the South Ostrobothnia welfare region. I currently work as a quality coordinator, and my work includes not only patient work, but also tasks according to the laboratory’s quality system. For example, I update work instructions, respond to customer feedback and document employee orientations. The digital tools I use are the most common ones, Teams, Office tools and Outlook email and calendar. In patient work, I use the Lifecare patient information system daily.

Social media is underutilized at my workplace. The main communication channel is still email. Meetings are organized either as face-to-face meetings or via Teams. Meetings sometimes take a lot of working time. Teams application should be utilized more widely than it is now. It is only currently used for video meetings. You can also set up “teams in Teams”, where files can be shared for collaborative editing. Also some training recordings are viewed through Teams.

Social media is increasingly used as a communication channel in the welfare area. Facebook and Instagram are the main applications. We have been looking for a social media manager within our unit, but so far without success. For example, the emergency center and X-ray also share fun content on social media. Communication aimed at customers is more tailored and information oriented.

The use of social media in the workplace is very polarized. For some employees, the code of conduct for social media is completely clear (younger employees), and some employees do not use any social media in their free time (usually older employees). For this reason, starting to use new social media applications may seem like a chore for some, and they do not feel that they make their work easier.

Different starting levels can cause a feeling of inferiority in some employees. Training in the use of social media tools should also be organized in the workplace. New digital tools should be introduced thoughtfully and only when needed. Learning new systems and applications puts a strain on employees.

Applications I selected:

deepL translates spoken and written language. It can translate entire files, for example. Application seems to be a really useful and time-saving, if it is also reliable for specialized vocabulary (medicine). I think application could reduce the potential for errors compared to trying to understand everything yourself. In clinical laboratory work, equipment manuals are used a lot, for example, which are usually in English. Any user of the device should be able to work with the device and react to error messages according to the instructions given by the device or the manual. However, work is often in a hurry, in which case a handy translator application would speed up the work significantly.

Hangouts is a new acquaintance for me, even though I use Gmail every day. Like most Google applications, this also seems easy to use. You can set up a group in the application to which tasks are assigned. Of course, you can also have a conversation with colleagues in the application.

Issuu convinces with its professionalism. The application can be used to easily create impressive training or marketing materials, for example. It could definitely be used for very effective marketing, especially in private healthcare companies. An excellent and usable application for commercial purposes.

MIRO is a useful tool for teamwork. For example, it can draw many kinds of diagrams, which could be useful for root cause analysis, for example. In healthcare, you have to process hazardous event reports by focusing on the root causes.

Plandisc is a calendar-type digital planning tool, where you can plan the year’s activities and tasks based on “a year clock”. The year clock makes it easy to see upcoming deadlines in a visual format. When assembled in a round shape, it is easier to perceive the important days of the year than from a traditional calendar with a month-by-month view. The year clock can be used by everyone individually, or it can be shared with the team, for example. I could use the free version of this application in my own work and at my workplace more widely.

A good digital application responds to a user’s need or problem. The application is easy to use and requires as little as possible new learning. The application is logical to use and can be used on many different devices. Its contents can also be synchronized with the contents of other applications in use. Applications used in the social and health sectors must always comply with GDPR regulations. Access to the application is secured with, for example, unique identifiers, such as a password or biometric identifier. A good application can also be modified to suit the user’s needs, and its developers also collect feedback from their users and use it in further development.

The problem with digital communication is that people easily ignore a message or work task that is transmitted electronically. Some employees do not acknowledge anything in an email, for example. The sender of the message is left unsure whether the message has been received and whether the matter will be handled. When discussing face-to-face, the parties are better committed to the matters agreed upon together.

I think I use various digital applications and social media less than average. For example, when I have to start using a new digital tool at work, the idea often feels like a chore. I prefer to rely on the ones I already use, because it is easier to adopt all the features that can be used than to learn a completely new digital tool. I also notice that I sometimes feel ashamed at work if I don’t know how to use a feature of Teams, for example, and have to ask for help. I am a millennial and I am expected to be able to use social media extensively and solve IT problems naturally. I also feel nervous if I have to handle appear in a video meeting. So I don’t find digital communication as natural as face-to-face conversations. On the other hand, I think I can express myself through a well-written test.