DIGI CITIZEN
KELA
I looked at the Kela website and browsed the different services there. Personally, I have been using the Kela health insurance card (Kela-card). Every Finnish citizen or foreigner whose municipality of residence is in Finland is entitled to a health insurance card. This entitles you to public health care and the Kela card also entitles you to health insurance reimbursement for the costs of private medical treatment and medicines in pharmacies. Through Kela, I receive reimbursement for insulin, which is in the higher special rate of reimbursement, so I only pay 4,50 euros per prescription. I get reimbursed directly when I go to the pharmacy, so I don’t have to apply for reimbursement separately. The reimbursement includes a 50 euros initial co-payment, which I pay once a year. A couple of years ago, when I got sick with covid, I received an infectious disease allowance from Kela for the time I was sick, for five days. As a higher education student, I also use my student card and pay the higher education student healthcare fee, so that I can use the Finnish Students Health Services if I want to.
European Health Insure Card
I already had a European Health Insurance Card, but fortunately I have never needed it. When I show my European Health Insurance Card to a healthcare provider, I should receive care as if I were a resident of the country, at the same cost. In this case, I pay a user fee that is the same as the fee paid by local residents and the country where I received treatment charges Kela for the rest of the costs. I don’t need a European Health Insurance Card when travelling in the Nordic countries, where I can get the necessary treatment by showing my Finnish passport or identity card.
OmaKanta & Keva
I have also visited OmaKanta to read my own health data. To log in to OmaKanta, I use my bank details and a mobile certificate. I went to the Keva website to find out how much pension I would get if I retired at 63 or 68. I also log in to the Keva website with a mobile certificate. The amount of pension I get depends on my annual earnings and how long I can work and stay in work.
Zalando and Canyon
Among the online shops, I visited the clothing company Zalando and the online shop of bicycle manufacturer Canyon. Zalando is a pretty typical online store for young women’s clothing. You can find clothes from many different brands and also at many different prices. Zalando attracts customers with promotional products and special offers for registered customers. Often the offers have a time limit, or that you get an “extra benefit” when you buy for a certain amount and that the offer expires after e.g. two hours. The message is further reinforced by the fact that the message includes a clock running down time. Online clothing stores buy in large quantities and often the clothes are made in countries with cheap labour, child labour and sub-standard working conditions. The quality of the clothes is often poor too. In such cases, companies selling cheap clothes can sell at a lower price than local shops. The problem with online shops is that you cannot feel the product or check the quality before you decide to buy. Clothes come in a wide range of sizes, and when you buy online you can’t fit the garment until you get home. Ordering several different sizes to take home can be valuable and returning an unsuitable product can result in the customer having to pay postage.
https://www.zalando.fi/naiset-home/
Canyon, a manufacturer of bicycles, sells its products exclusively online. The products are relatively similar in price to the bicycles sold in comparable shops. There is a wide choice and the products seem to be of good quality. Some of the bikes are on offer, but there is no mention of special offers or that the offers are only for members. The bicycles on offer are, for example, last year’s models or one-offs. Members benefit from a discount on bicycle accessories and the possibility to order bikes from special series. The website has instructions on how to choose the right bicycle for your needs and how to measure which frame size is most suitable for you. Bicycles are supplied in parts, so you will need to assemble the bicycle yourself. There are instructional videos on how to assemble, but I think previous experience of assembling or repairing a bicycle would be useful. The necessary tools are supplied with the bike. The fact that the bikes are only sold online reduces the intermediaries and so they are able to sell at a lower price than other manufacturers. However, it is almost impossible for the buyer to see the product “live” or to test ride the bike before buying it.
Terveyskylä and TerveyskyläPro
In my own field, I chose the online health service Terveyskylä (Health Village). Terveyskylä is an online service developed by the University Hospitals of Finland. The Terveyskylä service provides information and support on well-being and disease management. The information is reliable, up-to-date and the content is produced by social and health professionals. Many hospitals also use Terveyskylä as a remote service through the omapolku service. In this case, the customer can contact the doctor or nurse treating him or her virtually, either by leaving a message or by making a pre-arranged video call.
TerveyskyläPro is a website for healthcare professionals, where they can register via their own organisation’s email address. The site provides information on diseases, symptom profiles and online courses for health professionals.
Digitalization and digital gap
Today, almost all services operate in digital environments and online platforms. There are many people who are unable or unwilling to use digital platforms. Many elderly people or people with special needs may find it difficult to adapt to and operate in an online environment, or feel uncomfortable doing so. For them, the possibility to access services by phone or face-to-face should be maintained. Support and advice on the use of digital services should be increased and made available to all. Many non-governmental organizations have helped in this respect, for example by organizing computer groups for older people. Many digitalization terms are unfamiliar to people who do not use digital services. Data protection is also an issue that can be difficult to address with these people. On the one hand, they may be overcautious and avoid all antivirus software, but on the other hand they may be easily scammed by websites.
Digital Competence Test
My digital skills are average. As I thought, the weakest part is producing digital content. However, I’m learning by doing and so I’m learning more on this course.
Self-Reflection
In this section, it was interesting to look at services from a digitalization perspective and how digitalization creates challenges and also obstacles to functioning in society, if a person does not control digitalization. I really enjoyed reviewing websites critically. I feel that I still have a lot to learn when it comes to digitalization, but I still believe that I will keep up with the development.