My job and digital tools
I work at the internal medicine outpatient clinic of a big hospital. My main tools are a computer and a phone. I use digital tools and applications daily in my work, including the patient information system Apotti, the integrated weblab laboratory information system, and the digital patient portal Maisa. I also regularly use the Terveyskylä.fi services and the digital care pathway developed for our patient group. I utilize Terveysportti as support for medication management and the procurement system Valtti for purchase orders. For telephone patient counseling, we use a digital callback service application. I also regularly use Microsoft 365 (M365) cloud services in my work. For teamwork and rapid communication among staff, we use Teams. A large part of meetings are also conducted through Teams. Teams enable remote work, efficient teamwork, and support communication and connectivity. Video consultations on the digital care pathway also utilize Teams connection. Regularly used M365 services also include Outlook email and calendar, OneDrive cloud storage, and OneNote notebook, which are convenient for teamwork. Our healthcare district’s intranet pages are built on the SharePoint platform. Work schedule planning is done digitally via the Titania application, and vacations, training plans, and absences are managed through the Harppi application. In emergency situations, we use a digital alert system. Remote training sessions are organized through Teams or the Oppiportti application. Thus, my work is full of renewed digital tools and applications enabled by digitalization.
Social media tools, I could use in my current job
- Instagram. Many hospital outpatient clinics have created Instagram accounts. They post fun and fascinating but also realistic posts and videos depicting the everyday life of the clinics. I have found that they are popular nowadays. I also follow several such accounts, and they bring the hospital’s work closer to people and create a positive image of healthcare work.
- Facebook. Referring to the above, an outpatient clinic’s Facebook account could function like an Instagram account.
- TikTok. Our largest patient group consists of patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. These diseases are typically contracted at a young age or in young adulthood. So, at our outpatient clinic we have many young and working-age patients, and for them the use of social media is daily, easy, and natural part of their life. TikTok is especially popular among the youth. I could believe that if we opened a TikTok channel with our gastroenterology team and started posting engaging content and instructions relevant to our patient group, it could interest and reach many of our young patients.
- YouTube. YouTube could be used, for example, to create and share injection instruction videos. I have come across injection instruction videos made by English clinical nurses on YouTube and have utilized them. There could be a demand for such instructional videos on YouTube in Finnish.
- It was quite difficult to find a fifth social media tool suitable for my work from the list. When it comes to healthcare work in a hospital, social media tools can be quite limited and regulated. Viva Engage, formerly Yammer, was not on the tool list, but I would have chosen it as the fifth. It is a social media-style networking site for the activities of an organization’s private and public groups and is well suited for a large organization. As a backup, I chose Mural. It could also be used in teamwork. Mural promises that “Teamwork feels like less work with Mural, the secure, flexible, visual work platform purpose-built for collaboration.” I am involved in various projects that we often work on remotely in teams. Mural could bring new dimensions and a new channel to teamwork, enabling collaboration, communication, reaction, and ideation.
The Pros and Cons of Social Media
Social media enables easy communication and interaction between people, regardless of distance. It supports networking, information sharing, and communication across different backgrounds. Social media allows participation, commenting, discussion, reactions, and emotional expression with both familiar and unfamiliar individuals. Platforms like Viva Engage, similar to social media, have also transformed organizational networking and teamwork possibilities, allowing people to work remotely together, collaborate on shared projects, and have virtual meetings. Information can be rapidly disseminated, and files can be collaboratively edited in real time. Social media can strengthen internal group cohesion, activity, idea generation, communication, and commitment.
On the flip side, social media channels provide the opportunity for anonymous or pseudonymous commenting. This opens the door for individuals lacking proper etiquette to engage in discussions. Unfortunately, instances of offensive language, insults, and even criminal behavior such as public shaming, threats, and racism are prevalent on social media. Cybercriminals have also found their way onto these platforms. Social media users occasionally fall victim to cyberattacks, identity theft, and extortion. It’s essential to consider these risks when using social media. Caution is advisable—avoid oversharing, carefully consider your online behavior, and refrain from getting provoked. When it comes to workplace matters, exercise discretion in what you post. Additionally, replacing face-to-face communication with social media can lead to feelings of loneliness for those who cannot, do not want to, or do not know how to use these platforms to connect with others.
Elements of a Good Digital Application
A good digital application is user-friendly, accessible, and secure. In today’s context, it’s also essential that it has a mobile version available. User-centric development involves understanding users and their needs, and provides the best foundation for digital applications. Additionally, scalability should be considered for future growth.
Self evaluation
It was interesting to explore the digital applications listed. Some of them were familiar, but many were entirely new to me. The task made me reflect on the positive and negative aspects of social media and how we could utilize it in our work. Opportunities exist, even in healthcare. This course was inspiring and prompted me to consider the possibilities of digitalization from a fresh perspective. I also found value in improving my English language usage and expanding my vocabulary through this course.