Digitalisation in EMS has replaced paper-based reporting with electronic patient records (kanta), enabled faster hospital notifications, improved dispatch accuracy through (Emergency Response Centre) GPS and automated routing, expanded telemedicine (Virve + mobile phone) use, and increased reliance on decision-support systems. Workflow is faster but more dependent on stable connectivity, device reliability, and user-interface quality. Training demands have increased: every new system requires technical orientation and continuous updates. Legacy systems cause friction when they fail to integrate. Usability issues, login delays and system crashes still interrupt clinical work. Plus the added risk of personal medical information to be stolen and distributed through internet.

Digitalisation will continue shifting EMS from isolated on-scene actions to a connected care continuum. Predictive analytics will guide resource allocation and anticipate patient deterioration. Wearables and remote-monitoring devices will trigger alerts before the patient seeks help (E.g. Apple watch with automatic atrial flimmer detection). Augmented and virtual reality will support training and procedural guidance. (Not in use currently) Smart-city infrastructure will integrate EMS into traffic systems, allowing dynamic routing based on real-time conditions. (Currently we have HALI, which can change traffic lights to green when we are near) Work roles will become more data-driven, requiring familiarity with AI oversight, data interpretation and human-machine interaction. Everyday life will become more connected through automated health monitoring, remote consultations and digitally mediated services.

The core conclusion is that digitalisation improves efficiency, situational awareness and data quality, but also reshapes professional identity. Competence expands from clinical skills toward technology management. Interoperability, security, training and human-factors design remain unresolved bottlenecks. Digital tools will dominate future EMS work, but their value depends on careful integration, not just acquisition.

GDPR has strengthened data protection, clarified rights, enforced transparency, and increased trust in how personal and patient data are handled. It has also increased documentation demands, limited certain data-sharing workflows, and slowed the adoption of innovative digital tools when compliance processes are unclear. In paramedic work, GDPR forces disciplined data handling, secure communication, proper consent management and strict access control. It protects patient dignity but introduces administrative load.

I asked ChatGPT about the advantages of tech in EMS. Basically GPT thought of really good ideas and they were in the right field. It is obvious that GPT doesnt know the Finnish medical services deeply. Which I dont think nobody does if based solemnly what the internet writes. I think AI is a really good tool, but a bad master. You can use it widely, but always be critical and check its work.

I learned tools that once felt like simple add-ons now define how information flows, how decisions are made and how responsibilities are documented. Digitalisation demands more technical competence than expected, especially in understanding system limitations, recognising data-quality problems and managing device failures under pressure. I need stronger understanding of how the underlying systems function, why certain processes are designed as they are, and how new digital tools can be evaluated critically before being integrated into clinical routines. “When technology is present, also the risk of device failure is there.” So we need to learn how NOT to rely solemnly on tech.