My Experiences with Digitalisation in Healthcare

My first touch to the digital world was maybe in school, where we had basic IT lessons. We had to search for information on the internet or write texts in Word. Around the same time, I got my first mobile phone—without a camera or internet, of course. When Messenger came to Windows, it felt revolutionary: I could chat with my friends live after school.

The development of the internet and digital tools has come a long way since then—at a breathtaking speed. I have now been working for roughly ten years in various healthcare positions in Finland. Most of my experience is from preventive health services, working as a public health nurse. I have also worked as a trainer for patient record systems. Currently, I work as a health advisor, providing remote guidance to individuals and families.

In my daily work, I use several digital tools and platforms—these are essential for time management, documentation, communication, and patient care. Without these systems, modern healthcare would not function effectively. The quality and smoothness of these systems is critical; if they don’t work properly, patient safety and staff efficiency are at risk.

In my opinion, digitalisation in public healthcare tends to develop a bit behind the private sector. Bureaucracy and limited budgets are part of the reason. Still, we have seen many good solutions that help patients receive better care. For instance, in my area, there’s a new digital platform where people can access services like dental or maternal health care without needing to wait endlessly on the phone. It makes services more equal and accessible.

The Future of Work and Life with Digitalisation

In the future, I believe digitalisation will continue to change how we provide healthcare. AI-powered tools may help professionals by analysing patient data, giving reminders, or even suggesting treatment options. Remote care will also become more common, which helps especially in rural areas.

However, healthcare will always need a human touch. Digital tools can support—but not replace—empathy, judgment, or communication. Training professionals in digital skills and ethical use of technology will be even more important in the years to come.

Risks of an Open Digital Society and the GDPR

Living in an open digital society brings many opportunities but also risks. Cybersecurity threats, fake information, and misuse of personal data are growing concerns.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into force in 2016 and was applied from 2018, has affected both my personal and working life. At work, we are now more aware of how we handle patient information. There are clearer rules about consent, data storing, and transparency. In many ways, GDPR has increased trust in our healthcare systems.

The positive effects include better protection of sensitive data and more patient control over their information. On the negative side, documentation and compliance with the regulation can be time-consuming and occasionally confusing for both professionals and users.

Trying ChatGPT: AI in Healthcare Support

As part of this assignment, I logged into the ChatGPT service (https://chat.openai.com) and asked a few questions related to my field. For example, I asked:

• How can AI support preventive healthcare?
• What are the ethical risks of using AI in healthcare?
• Can AI help reduce nurse workload in Finland?

The answers were surprisingly informative and well-structured. ChatGPT provided general insights, suggested tools, and mentioned some real-world applications. However, some answers were too broad and not specific to the Finnish healthcare context. It’s important to critically evaluate the information and cross-check it with official sources.

In general, I see AI as a powerful support tool. It can help reduce repetitive tasks, provide quick summaries, and suggest evidence-based information. However, AI is not a professional and should not replace human decision-making—especially in healthcare where every case is different.

Self-Evaluation and What I Learned

This course and assignment have helped me reflect on how deeply digitalisation affects my everyday work. I’ve realised that I use a variety of digital tools without always thinking about their impact. Learning about GDPR reminded me how important data protection is in healthcare, and everyone should be informed about this topic regularly.

I also learned to explore new digital solutions, such as AI, and think critically about their benefits and risks. In the future, I want to learn more about cybersecurity in healthcare and how to use digital services even more efficiently with patients.