KELA -The Social Insurance Institution of Finland
KELA, one of Finnish people’s leverage and most of all privilege. It helps most likely us all at some point of our lives, each one in their own way. I have used KELA’s financial aid for students while I studied in Savonia University of Applied Sciences Degree Programme of Radiographer and Radiotherapy. You can apply for the study grant and the student loan guarantee. You can also apply for general housing allowance, in which you need to own a lease of residence, so you need to move out for example from your parent’s home. It didn’t and won’t for many people cover all your needs and living so I worked as well to get more financial support. There are limits how much you can earn to still get the financial aids.
Now I’m paying healthcare fee to KELA. You need to pay it even you wouldn’t use the services.
OmaKanta
OmaKanta is a place to see your personal health data. I use OmaKanta’s website and in order to see your personal data it requires strong authentication. I log in with e-identification, with my online bank service. I confirm my logging and using my bank account with my bank’s application for verifying.
I consented to share my health data and organ donation testament at OmaKanta. I have used OmaKanta for checking and browsing my health data, results of examinations and statements of medical treatments and obtaining digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate.
Keva (pension agency)
Keva is most large-scaled pension provider in Finland. It controls the pensions of local government, State, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kela, Bank of Finland and new wellbeing services counties employees.
I have checked my pension out of curiosity before, but it doesn’t tell that much since I will keep working for quite some time still and the numbers have been increasing – both pension and the age. It’s still interesting to see the result of your work until this day and how it benefits you in forward. It’s better to keep working and increasing the number. My retirement age was 67 and 10 months. If I would continue working for 2 years, the pension would increase by approximately 14%. Retiring earlier decreases your pension.
Online shops – Booking.com vs Trivago vs Hotel’s own website
Each site tells about their company, such as their terms and conditions, legal information and privacy policy.
I will compare a selected hotel room in same hotel in each company’s website. Target: Clarion Hotel Helsinki; 2 adults, 1 night, Standard Double Room, breakfast included.
Booking.com : 157€. It’s an offer. The site tells the price would normally be 169€.
Trivago.com : Lowest price is 152€ from Trip.com. Trivago’s website shows Booking.com offer first though and it’s the same 157€ as in their website.
Clarion Hotel Helsinki- homesite : Web Price Prepaid (pay now) 157€ and the price for members is 152€.
Conclusion: The prices are around the same in all the sites and all of them seems and are from my own experience reliable. The more information they share about their facts and policies, sends you a message they are legitimate company and transparent. The information looks updated too. They all contain about the same information but the ratings from customers can vary from site to another. Pictures can also be a bit different compared to each other. If you want to compare the prices, it’s important to check if any of those companies has offers or if you are on their mailing list, you can receive codes for discounts.
Service from my own field – SORF (Society of Radiographers in Finland)
SORF was established 1958 and represents about 3000 professionals in the diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy. The association’s aim is to make the professionals work and establishes both visible and heard. That’s one of the main reasons the service is so important. SORF ensures that radiographers have the capability to offer high-quality radiography services in the Finnish healthcare system, it covers both private and public healthcare sector. It helps you to develop radiographers’ profession and offers a channel where you can influence the future of imaging. The service will have new feature next fall, a “job market” where employers can buy space for their job advertisement and radiographers can leave their job application. If you are member of SORF, it’s free of charge. It’s a good way to find professionals in one place and bring them all together.
SORF’s own magazine “Radiography” is published five times a year and is one of the member benefits. I have written an article to the magazine and exploited SORF’s sites author’s instructions. Their service contains more information about radiographers’ job, education and much more. It’s important to have these kind of society´s and services for targeted group of people.
Digitalization and digital gap
Digitization improves society and it has grown exponentially, at a record setting pace. However, this pace of changes can lead to seeing digitalization also as a negative thing. This can be a tendency amongst by the older generation for example, which has not grown with and during digitalization. Changes are scary when it doesn’t come from your own choice and it’s an unknown territory. Fear can be alleviated by increasing people’s confidence, ability to act and their curiosity towards digitalization.
It is important to consider the risks of digital exclusion when planning technology and digitalization. In particular, the opportunities for those in a weaker position to use technology services may be weakened if the technology requires large investments or special skills from the user. Equal service means taking into account the special characteristics of different customer groups so that the services are available to everyone. A functioning digitization requires that it be made accessible, aware and usable by everyone. From an ethical point of view, technology must take into account both users and employers.
When developing technology and digitalization, equality must be taken into account, i.e. everyone must be treated the same regardless of their different backgrounds. An exception is, for example, children or the elderly, whose needs must be taken into account separately. All this must be done while respecting privacy protection. The assessment of good and bad sides, threats or opportunities should be considered both individually and through larger groups. People must also be left with the option of refusing technology, i.e. the right for self-determination. Users who have doubts about technology and digitalization can think about ethics through the motivation of use and its consequences.
Digitization is a growing and developing field, and its role will continue to be significant in the future. It can even radically change operating methods. Making it work requires that the person is at the centre of everything all the time. In development and production, people must go ahead of technology, not the other way around. Digital services must meet the needs of all service users and benefit them.
Digital Competence Test
I keep myself good at handling digital services and applications and I avail them alot. What I’m not good at and I’m unfamiliar with is the is the infrastructure and components that enable modern computing and digitalization. That’s something I’m planning to dig in and learn more about in the future. I’m happy to see my safety is so high in my ratings.
Self-reflection
This reminded me how large subject digitalization and digital competence is. You need to take into account so many different matters and this is a subject I want to learn and study more deeply about. Many propably don’t think how many things you need to consider and valuate before you go into a service and accept notifications or in what different ways you can give your information to an outsider. Also I need to pay more attention to the information what the services tells you before doing anything even though I keep myself quite cautious person.
Comments on other people’s blogs
As you said, digitalization is a very broad area. There’s plenty of new things to learn. Your attitude to learn new things is inspiring and I could think the same myself despite all the difficulties. Thanks for your encouragement! You can learn anything if you want. Digital competence is also about the safety of the individual and it was good to hear that you, like me, are careful in the digital world.
It’s amazing how you have highlighted here some very crucial principles and considerations when it comes to the development and implementation of technology and digitalization. What I really found important was your thoughts on inclusivity, privacy protection, and the recognition of unique needs (ie children and the elderly) and people who just simply refuse to use technology. I agree with all of this. I – for example – often struggle in my work with creating digital content that is understandable and accessible.
Great post with lots of infomation. I agree for example your point of view that how important it is to consider the risks of digital exclusion when planning technology and digitalization. As a former caregiver I have noticed that elderly people are often helpless in the modern society and that is equality problem for us all.