DIGI CITIZEN
KELA
I’ve had the European health care card over ten years at least and I’ve kept it with me when travelling in Europe. I’ve been lucky since I haven’t had to use it anywhere yet.
I use KELA pages for getting information about social security benefits and paying the health care fee for students in higher education. I’ve also needed KELA pages when I wanted to participate in adaptation training course for persons with diabetes type 1. It was already ten years ago. I don’t have any children, so I don’t need to use KELA pages very much. But of course, if I get chronically sick and need for example sickness allowance, I would first go to KELA’s web site.
OmaKanta
I am very familiar with OmaKanta, because I have type 1 diabetes and I visit regularly in the public healthcare and also my occupational health care information can be found from there. I get the access via Suomi.fi identification service with my bank account identification or with mobile certificate (Mobiilivarmenne).
Keva
Oh dear! This is my first time visit at Keva web site. It seems that I have to be at least 66 years and 6 months old before I can retire and my pension would be 1852,17 €/month. Optimal age for my retirement will be 68 years and 3 months and my pension would be 2090,70 €/month. Partially retired I could be at the age of 63 and if that would be 50%, I would get 727,21 €/month. I guess I will be working with the help of a rollator…
Digital shops
I’ve been using Booking.com, but I also check the prices directly from the lodging’s own site. The price can be lower either way. And I go through if I have any other choices to get lower price like regular customer perks as a labor market organization’s member etc. I am quite careful and I want to check different options and be sure to choose the most reliable one. Also because I have coeliac disease and I need gluten free breakfast, I always want to check the availability of that directly from the lodging. I really don’t trust that my wishes go through Booking.com. I’ve actually experienced it. Anyhow, using Booking.com has been easy and nice way to check quickly the accommodation opportunities in certain place. I feel it is reliable. I just need to do some extra checking.
Digital service of my own field: Avantor Science Central
I make most of the supply orders for our pathology and parasitology unit. As long as there have been an opportunity to use web shops, I’ve been using them. Of course University of Helsinki has also general agreements for many laboratory supplies, chemicals etc. and I have to follow them. I still have a possibility to check the prices and we also use a lot of things that are not mentioned in the general agreements.
Life science company Avantor has a huge web shop. I would like to say that if you don’t find it from Avantor you probably won’t need it. But actually they don’t have everything, so I have to shop elsewhere, too. Anyway Avantor’s webshop is a place to start searching whether you need chemicals, histotechnology supplies, lab machines, personal protection etc. It is easy to search and compare the options. When logged in, I can see our personal prices, like the ones in general agreement with university. Of course sometimes there can be misleading information like if there are supplies really in the stock or how long is the delivery time. If I am in a hurry with something I better contact the customer service. From there I will get the most reliable information after all.
Digitalization and digital gaps
I am worried about elderly persons who don’t have any skills or even equipment for using digital services. Everything is nowadays so digi-based that I can imagine it’s already very difficult living in the society for those who are not familiar with computer, internet or smartphone. I guess these people might feel abandoned and isolated from the society. And very lonely if they do not have any human contacts near.
At the moment I am the chair of our housing cooperative board in an 11 departments’ row house. Here are a few very old residents and it is difficult to get in touch with them. Now we have started with a new property manager that has a very nice online service portal. But there are still those couple of very old residents, who are not going to use it. I feel I have a responsibility to take care of them somehow. Probably I shouldn’t be worrying about it and leave it to the property manager, but I don’t know. Maybe I worry too much beforehand?
Digital Competence Test
I did the Digital Competence test and here is a picture of my results. I am not surprised that my weaknesses are in the area of production. I know the basic things but I don’t know like anything about creating systems. It’s a little bit awkward that I am one of our trusted ones in our working society who is asked to help with computer problems (lol)! I am also the main moderator of our pathology unit in our new patient program software. Maybe I underestimate my own skills.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, what did I learn
It was really educational to stop and think when using the digital services. It is easy for me to use them, but there are many who probably won’t feel so. I’ve been worried about too fast digitalization. It’s too easy to forget the ones who cannot use the digital services. And for them it is getting more and more difficult to get face-to-face service that has been seen already for example in bank services. It’s nice to say that we save time and money when we digitalize public services but the truth may not be so flattering… It divides people based on the age, socioeconomic background etc. and that is not a good thing. We have to keep in our minds that there are people who need help and support and we are the ones who can be there for those people. Human touch and empathy are needed in this world so much.
It was very heart warming to notice that I am not alone with my thoughts. The blogs I visited and commented on:
4.6.2025 at 13:21
Hi Kati!
You wrote about the digital gap, and I think your example of the new online service portal in your housing company is a great illustration of how things are becoming digitalized without us even noticing it. For those of us who are comfortable with digital tools, it feels practical and natural. But for elderly people, it’s once again something new and difficult to learn.
I live in a housing complex where most of the residents are elderly, and I can imagine that this kind of upgrade would definitely give them a few more grey hairs.
Wishing you beautiful summer days,
Oona!
Here’s my blog if you are interested: https://blogi.savonia.fi/oonavuoltee/
24.6.2025 at 19:51
Hello Kati and thank you for the interesting blog. I have previously used also Booking.com, but nowadays having children, it is easier to stay in apartments or houses, so I mainly choose Airbnb.com for accommodation. I am also quite “careful” so to be said and I read always comments and check the ratings to be sure that the service, product, accommodation etc. is best suited for me and my family.
I especially liked the last paragraph of your blog when you said that you are worried about too fast digitalization and forgetting the people who can’t manage to use digital services for some reason. It is sad that face-to-face service is nowadays rare. Although I don’t especially need face-to-face service, I still want that those who want it, those can have it without extra cost or some kind of special arrangement.
27.9.2025 at 12:34
Thank you for your thoughtful and honest writing. I was especially struck by your mention of the older residents in your housing company, for whom using a website may not be familiar. According to DVV’s research, Finns are happy to rely on help from their close circle when dealing with digital matters, and it’s important that things get done, even if not always with equal access for everyone.