DIGI- citizen services

My experiences with Finnish social and healthcare systems

Finland’s independent social security institution, Kela, promotes the health and independent coping of Finns by managing basic social security in various life situations and changes. I have been able to rely on Kela’s services at different stages of my life. Kela’s services were not very familiar during my childhood, but when I moved out at the age of 16, I applied for and received Kela’s study and housing support. At that time, I submitted applications in person at the Kela office on paper forms. Decisions were also sent by mail. Kela’s services include benefit services, which are now easy to apply for online. At the moment, I receive child benefit from Kela. Both I and my family members have Kela cards, which are used for identification at the pharmacy and in healthcare services. When using private healthcare services, I have received Kela reimbursements. In connection with my current studies, I have paid the YTHS semester fee through my online bank, which entitles me to use certain services. The maternity package has been a memorable support provided by Kela. Once my daughter lost her Kela card. We reported the matter to Kela, and a new card quickly arrived by mail. The old card was later found as well.

In the digital Omakanta service, I have been able to view my health information regardless of time and place with strong authentication. Omakanta shows, among other things, healthcare visit records and various test results. Through the service, you can renew prescriptions, check the validity of vaccinations, monitor care-related matters, and read doctors’ and nurses’ medical records. Previously, information was only recorded for those using public services, but nowadays services from private healthcare are also recorded in My Kanta. I can also check my children’s information up to the age limit allowed and later on as well, provided the child gives consent for viewing. You can access the health information of relatives, for example your own parents, if they wish and give their consent, and if they need support in reviewing their own health information.

You can apply for a pension or rehabilitation allowance from the pension company Keva, for which a medical certificate is requested. The documents are sent to Keva electronically, which makes processing easier and decisions are received quickly. You can simultaneously track the processing on Keva’s website. According to the pension age calculator, the minimum retirement age for my old-age pension is 66 years and 1 month. My target retirement age is 67 years and 9 months. If I could work until I am 70, I would receive €412.47 more in pension. I could go on partial early retirement at the age of 64. I suppose that when I reach retirement age, many things will have changed, and I do not know if one can fully rely on the current pension system. By investing, I could retire before my minimum calculated retirement age, even as early as 60.

Digitalization of healthcare and the digital divide

Digital services can at best support customers in self-care and make it possible for them to view their own health information independently, which saves staff time from answering inquiries. Self-care benefits many. This is assumed when highlighting the advantages of digital services. This represents modern healthcare. However, it happens that customers inquire and double-check their matters, and they can become confused if they receive information that can be interpreted differently elsewhere. So, what about trust, and what impact does uncertainty have on the customer? Diagnoses, examinations, and new treatments, among other things, still fall under the responsibility of healthcare professionals. Customers should receive guidance and support both verbally and in writing.

Not all people have the ability or opportunities to use digital services. Yet they have an equal right to care. Misunderstandings can occur in digital services. Accessing care can be complicated and slow. There is a risk of increasing inequality. Is it possible that one could be completely left out of services? When interaction and genuine encounters are minimized, we as humans cannot satisfy our human needs for community and the presence of another person.

We are growing apart from each other. Some see digitalization as an opportunity, while others view it with concern, often as unnecessary and an additional source of stress. I consider the loss of social skills and forgetting the importance of presence to be a concern. I see digitalization as mentally straining, causing stress, even exhaustion and insomnia. Much of the flood of information is largely useless and endless. Instead of spending time on digital devices, one could learn and develop many skills needed in life. In my life and work, I have encountered an increase in anxiety and pain problems among children and young people due to excessive time spent on digital devices. I find it concerning where this development is leading for the next generation. The flood of information from the internet is often not reliable, desirable, or necessary. The internet and games are increasingly causing addictions among children and young people. They are often unable to control addictive behavior or detach from devices without proper support.

Digital online shopping

Shopping online can be convenient and quick, but it also has another side. There is a lot of supply, but you often have to search for quality. Browsing websites and analyzing products can take time. It is often difficult to make a purchase decision, and it can happen that you give up and postpone it to a later time. It often happens to me that if someone interrupts, my intention to buy gets forgotten. For this reason, I often gather a sufficient amount of items to buy and go to a physical store to make the purchase. There are many advantages to this. For example, you don’t have to return unsuitable clothes if you go through the fitting room before the checkout.

If I have managed to make good online purchases, they have been hotel reservations, books, art supplies, or skincare products from an online pharmacy. Clothing or shoe purchases often go wrong, and I have to return them. Returning items doesn’t feel nice, so I have minimized ordering them. When shopping from online stores, I try to make purchases from reliable, well-known websites. I usually like to use, for example, the Klarna billing app. I use discount store chains as little as possible. I strive for ethically sustainable choices, which is why I have not ordered from Temu. Additionally, if the product I ordered does not match the description, I return it. I am quite demanding. I often use online flea markets and order second-hand products instead of new ones. I do not do grocery shopping online. In my previous job at the facility, we did grocery shopping online, which was convenient, but often the product was replaced with something else, which was not pleasant.

In my family, we have used the Booking.com app for accommodation. We also book Airbnb apartments, among other things. It is easy to compare prices to hotel rates through the app. I try to compare prices when making reservations. The bookings we have made and our experiences have been good, and we have been satisfied with them also because of the value for money. Customer reviews are also visible on the site. When shopping at a new online store, I read reviews and the terms of delivery. I have had good shopping experiences with, for example, the Boozt.com online store. They have had a pleasant selection of products and a comparable price-quality ratio. I have not ordered from Temu or Amazon, as the sites do not have a good reputation. They do not encourage shopping because the selection is too large and inconsistent. I appreciate a clear presentation of products and smooth service. I like Finnish brands, but I regret when they end up in foreign ownership.

Digital skills test results

The Digital Competence Wheel has specialized in digital design and digital skills for over 10 years. My results in the skills test were: Information 87 %. Communication 83 %. Production 81 %. Safety 91 %.

According to the digital skills wheel, I am strongest in security, information, and communication skills. On the other hand, the results were fairly even. There is always room for improvement, and I would like to develop in each of these areas. In particular, I would like to learn how to create different websites and produce content and digital materials.

Self-assessment and reflection

The Digital Competence Wheel skills test made me reflect on my own digital behavior. Digital services have increased tremendously. I approach many types of content with great interest and want to learn about new systems and keep up with developments. Looking to the future, both personally and professionally, I consider it particularly important to continuously develop my digital skills and my ability to use various applications and systems. It is essential to be able to manage oneself in order to guide others in the use of digital services. The assignment gave me a good understanding of digital opportunities online and sparked my interest in how I could utilize them more effectively. This task helped me reflect on all the responsibility and evidence-based management that should be leveraged whenever possible in the use and adoption of digital services. Always keeping in mind that as human beings, we have different needs, and at different stages of life, different forms of support are appropriate. In social and health services, the task is to provide support in the best possible way.

Most services have moved online with the advent of digitalization. Banking, social, healthcare, and government services, as well as many everyday services we need, are essential. For many services, face-to-face appointments must be arranged in advance. In-person services have decreased significantly in recent years. In the future, more attention should be paid to how services could be offered as conveniently and accessibly as possible to everyone. Focus should be given to user-centeredness. As an example, I could mention Kela’s services, which are available in Finnish and Swedish. In Finland, besides English speakers, there are also people who need interpretation services for other languages and who use Kela’s services. Trained interpreters in Finland have pointed out that some people with a foreign background may find it difficult to understand the different types of support and purposes of Kela’s service systems. They may interpret the contents from different perspectives than they are used to thinking and interpreting in their previous home country. Here, the systems operate differently. It can be difficult for an interpreter to provide the client with the necessary information in such a way that the client can manage their affairs.