I work as a nurse in the social and health care sector. From the perspective of healthcare and social welfare, digitalization refers to the production of information on clients and patients in digital form and the transfer of data between different actors using digital technology. In the social and health care sector, the purpose of developing e-services is to promote health and wellbeing, provide equal services and implement a cost-effective and effective service structure.
In social welfare and health care, digitalization can be utilized in such a way that patients are able to participate more actively in their own care. Active patient participation in their own care can enable cost and time savings for healthcare organizations. The purpose of using electronic services is to be part of life management and to support independent coping.
Health and social services must be accessible to all citizens. This is especially important to consider as digital services expand. When digitally capable and willing customers choose digital services, opportunities for traditional services are freed up for those who do not have the skills or desire to do business digitally.
Social welfare and health care professionals must have the expertise to use and support the use of digital services. In my own work, I work with digital services daily. For example, all patient data is stored in electronic information systems. In addition, we utilize a wide range of electronic health services in our work, such as Terveyskylä.fi and Terveysportti. The organization I work for is, so to speak, a “paperless hospital”. This means that all paper is replaced by information technology in the hospital.
Healthcare is not only leveraging digital solutions but is becoming dependent on them. This also poses threats to the healthcare system, such as a data breach. Sensitive information can be stolen or access to patient data prevented. For these reasons, health data and systems must be protected with firewalls and user identification systems.
Other threats posed by the spread of electronic services include, for example, how healthcare professionals are increasingly challenged to consider when it is necessary to meet a person with health concerns face-to-face. Analyzing, processing, and evaluating data will be an increasingly essential skill for social and health care professionals. Data security is very important, and everyone should make sure that their passwords are up-to-date and cannot end up in the wrong hands.
With the increase in electronic services, changes are taking place in the job description. The changing work environment requires creativity and social intelligence from employees to utilize digitalization. This requires constantly more digital skills, such as a basic understanding of the possibilities and limitations of artificial intelligence, as well as the ability to use different applications and electronic tools.
This learning assignment was very instructive for me. It increased my understanding and competence of on the development of information and communication technologies developments in the workplace now and in the future.
I commented on these blogs: