DIGI CITIZEN

KELA, Omakanta and KEVA

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, commonly known as KELA is the Finnish government agency responsible for managing various social security programs. Established in 1937, KELA plays a critical role in the Finnish welfare state by administering a wide range of benefits and services to residents of Finland.

Me and my family have had KELA benefits for many reasons. In Finland every family gets numerous benefits from KELA and I think most importat is a support for families. We got maternity and parental support during bregnancy and after the birth of our child. We also had a baby box that includes baby clothes and other essentials. Child benefit is a monthly payment to families with children under the age of 17. We also got child home care allowance as we desided to care our child at home after parental leave. Our family members have prescripted medications so KELA partially reimburses the costs and if we need a doctor the payment is also partially covered by KELA.

I ordered European healthcare card for me and my child. I once had the card for me but it had been expired so a new one was current. It is really great that Finland offers an opportunity in healthcare in EU and Eta countries if getting sick while travelling.

Omakanta is an online service in Finland that allows citizens and residents to access their personal health records and manage various aspects of their healthcare. It is part of the broader Kanta Services (Kanta-palvelut), which are operated by the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in cooperation with KELA. One can access to the website by using strong authentication for example with their bank account identifier.

KEVA is the Finnish pension institution responsible for managing the pensions of public sector employees in Finland. It operates as a public sector organization, providing pension services to employees of local governments, the state, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and KELA. By entering to KEVA website one can look over the amount of pension they are having when retired. My monthly amount was fairly small because I have many working years left.

Second assignment

I visited the websites named in the assignment and all of them was familiar to me from before. I have ordered things from Germanys Amazon and I find the website mostly reliable. Allthough you might want to see the reviews of the items and sellers as there can be quite a lot variety in the quality of the items. Mostly the items are cheaper there but not everything. U can also buy used items from Amazon witch is great when there is over consumptioning. I have been in understanding that eBay is mainly focusing on used stuff sales where you can also sell items yourself, but there is also a lot new stuff on sale. It is also common that there is a starting price witch you can bid up in auction. I have not bought things from eBay, but as the website has been so long active I find it quite reliable.

Booking.com and Trivago are also familiar to me and have used those websites many times when planning a trip abroad and in Finland. As the websites are provided by advertisements and commission, you may want to visit the sites on incognito. In my own experience the prices might be higher the next time you visit. Nowadays I always check the prices on hotels own website also ‘cos the prices mostly are cheaper that way. But Booking.com and Trivago are great sites on listing hotels at different areas and you can easily search the type of stay you are looking for.

Maisa

When thinking about service/application from my own field the Maisa portal (website and app) was first on my mind. It is an online healthcare portal used by the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) and several other healthcare providers in Finland. I use Maisa very often as I have cheduled appointments in healthcare and I find the app very handy to manage my issues. What is important, access to Maisa requires strong authentication and on second time you can access for example by your fingerprint if you want. In Maisa portal one can easily see the appointments, rechedule or cancel them and check lab results or visit summaries through the portal. One can also view their current prescriptions, request renewals, and see their medication history. As known the healthcare is very growded to access by phone, it is convinient that one can easily and securely communicate with their healthcare providers. One can ask questions, receive advice, or discuss treatment options. It also allows for the exchange of documents and images when necessary.

Digitalization and digital gap

Digitalization can cause inequality alongside people. I think there is a digital gap mostly between young and elderly citizens. For individuals who do not use virtual services, there are several risks and challenges that they might face, particularly in a world where digital platforms are increasingly part of one’s daily life.

As seen, many healthcare providers now offer virtual services like online appointment scheduling and access to medical records through portals like Maisa. Those who do not use these services may face challenges in getting care on time and scheduling appointments, which might lead to delays in treatment and reduced quality of care. Access to government services for example social security, tax filings and benefits, are also increasingly moving online. Not using these services can lead to difficulties in applying for benefits, receiving timely information, or even fulfilling legal obligations. Job postings are frequently found on online platforms and many employers require online applications. Not using these services can limit job opportunities and make it harder to find employment. Also banking services, such as paying bills and managing accounts, are primarily accessed online. There might be higher fees for in-person transaction or delays in accessing their money.

Big issue is also the social isolation caused by mainly focused virtual communication. Many community events, meetings and gatherings are now organized online or by digital messaging apps and one can be left out if not informed otherwise.

My digital competence

Digital Competence test was really fun and interesting to do. Paragraph below shows my results from the test. I can see that my expertise is social awareness ,collaboration, health and law. The result is really relevant as I am a nurse and skilful at recognising social normalities and what is right and wrong. And on the other side is my skills in storage, configuration and automation that need more practise.

This part of the course was interesting and I got to ponder me as a digi citizen and what is included in my daily life. All these tasks were familiar to me, but it was still nice to think about those thoroughly and write my knowledge and thoughts down.

I commented on these three blogs:
https://blogi.savonia.fi/outiihalainen/digi-citizen/

https://blogi.savonia.fi/katjahattunen/digi-citizen/?unapproved=8&moderation-hash=738401b6c35e96d4f6a5735f90f5c2ae#comment-8

https://blogi.savonia.fi/rarecare/eplatforms/?unapproved=31&moderation-hash=df8663bab17bb96f211b5c5d23182154#comment-31