Digitalisation in Healthcare
I have worked in the social and health sector for more than 20 years. I remember that back in 2010, patient records were still kept on traditional patient paperwork. At that time, the introduction of electronic recording was just being prepared. In those years, electronic recording and data transfer have developed enormously. As patient information systems are not interoperable, not all patient information is still transferred electronically, and papers have to be printed out when the patient moves to the next point of care, where a different patient information system is used.
Patient safety has improved thanks to electronic recording and data transfer. Many healthcare services are implementing a single patient information system, ensuring that all data is transferred electronically. This will speed up, for example, urgent patient transfers, so there is no need to wait for a patient’s referral to be ready. In the future, the patient information system will be integrated into the social care. In the past, patients’ measurements were recorded on paper and later manually transferred to the patient information system. Today, the data is recorded using a phone-based application and transferred directly to the patient information system, reducing duplicate entries and the possibility of errors. In the near future, measurements can be taken with a device that directly transfers the measurement results to the patient information system. It has also been possible to improve safety of medication with an electronic application. The application can be used to record the medicine has been given at the patient’s side, once the patient’s identity has been verified by the application. The application allows the use of vital signs scoring to support decision-making and speed up the initiation of patient treatment.
The patient logistics system is used to organise the transfer of patients between care units. Previously, transfer arrangements were made by phone calls. Before the system was introduced, enquiries about patient places were made by telephone and patient information was written down on paper. The patient logistics system has improved patient safety by reducing interruptions to care caused by phone calls, and instead the report on the patient is transferred electronically. Further information about the patient can be requested via a chat connection if necessary.
At the moment, there is also a shortage of doctors in my organisation, which is why we have had to reduce the number of patient places. In the future, I would like to see remote diagnostics enabling at least part of the rounds to be carried out remotely, and I would be happy to develop this myself. I would also increase remote monitoring of patients and use
In healthcare services, the threat of electronic medical records is that patients’ privacy may be compromised and medical records may be disclosed to outsiders. The risk of cyber-attacks can lead to the loss or inactivation of patient data. Data can also be compromised due to human error.
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) allows data to be transferred between different service providers. Data subjects have the right to review their own health data and, if necessary, request the correction of inaccurate data. My organisation has appointed a data protection officer, as required by the GDPR. My organisation has up-to-date data protection documents. Strong authentication is required to view medical records, and a history of viewing is kept.
AI in Healthcare
I asked ChatGPT how digitalisation is affecting healthcare in general. The answers were varied and included electronic health records, remote consultations and digital health checks, health apps and self-care, artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics and automation, genomics and data management and analytics.
Self evaluation
By reading other people’s blogs, I have learned more about how digitalisation can be used in different areas. It was good to review what GDPR means. Completing the course in English is new to me and will improve my English language skills.
Comment for Kiira Valta’s site:
It was interesting to read about digitalisation from your sector’s perspective. It is very true that digitalisation enables us to have a huge amount of information. The healthcare sector is also benefiting from a huge amount of information. The information collected from patients can be used to improve the quality of care, identify risk factors for disease and anticipate changes in their health status. Earlier information can be used to improve the efficiency of healthcare. The information collected can also be used in healthcare to improve services.
Comment for Laura Sauranen’s site:
It was interesting to read your blog. GDPR is very complex and I think many people don’t understand what it means in practice. GDPR has certainly improved patient privacy. On the other hand, patients have more rights to influence their own data. You are right that organisations have a big responsibility to ensure that they operate in accordance with GDPR requirements and that all data processes are compliant with the regulations.