DIGI SOCIETY
My experiences of the digitalisation
I’ve been working now 23 years in veterinary pathology laboratory. Of course digitalisation has changed our working field, but not so fast compared to human diagnostic pathology. My pathology lab is part of the Faculty of Veterinary sciences, University of Helsinki. Veterinary pathology research is nowadays taking big leaps in AI based virtual microscopy but in diagnostic field we are far from AI world. When I started my job in 2002, everything was still based on paper reports. Well, there was not anymore a secretary transcribing pathologist’s markings and reporting. There already existed the first version of patient data software, that was programmed specially for veterinary pathology. I had already used softwares in human healthcare and for example QPati program used in human diagnostic pathology was far more ahead of this vet pathology program. In October 2024 we started using third patient program during my working years and I have been heavily involved in commissioning project that started one year earlier. I’ve been basically in charge of the functions needed in our pathology section’s work processes. I tried to figure out how we can use the clinical patient program in reporting necropsy findings and biopsy and cytology sample reports. That was an interesting but also quite an exhausting project. I also realized that we really need a Laboratory Information System (LIS). They also noticed the same thing in the central clinical lab of chemistry, hematology and microbiology in our animal hospital. So, at the moment we have an ongoing project about purchasing and commissioning of the LIS software.
I guess we are a little bit sluggish in the veterinary field compared to human medicine. But the digitalization won’t stop and also we need to keep up. I have noticed some things that need to be updated in the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and digitalization of biological sample storage information is really needed. I just have to convince the head of the faculty that it should support the LIS purchasing. It would help also potential biobanking projects. Sometimes I feel quite frustrated when I know how the digitalized systems work in human healthcare laboratories and we are still far behind of the progress.
Risks of open digital society and GDPR
What actually means an open digital society?
I was first thinking about my working environment at the University of Helsinki. There researchers talk a lot about open access publishing. It has both good and bad aspects. Open access publishing in science makes research more transparent and probably catalyzes science and research to make progress even faster than ever before. It also means that people reading open access articles must learn to be very critical. There are always some mad scientists who are not trustworthy and if there is no talented and critical peer review before publishing, there can be all kind of unreliable research outcome. Then there is open source databases, where researchers share their outcome to global research community, for example during COVID-19 pandemic in University of Helsinki (and around the world) researchers sequenced SARS-CoV-2 virus genome from the positive patient samples and shared the sequence data right away globally to the other research organisations. That helped researchers and other healthcare organisations to follow the mutations of the virus and see how it spreads in the whole world.
Taking openness in digital society further, it should mean transparency and trust between government and citizens. For example e-voting in elections or different kind of public platforms where people can tell their opinions without fear of discrimination etc. The openness is one important element of the democracy. Openness in digital society can mean also open software development, where the software source code is publicly accessible. It has been interesting to follow my type 1 diabetic colleagues when they have been building continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems combined with insulin pumps making them closed loop systems delivering insulin according to the need of it that is based on the CGM records. It is called The Open Artificial Pancreas System project (#OpenAPS). I personally don’t have any motivation to study how to do it and I am a lucky diabetic who had the possibility to get the automated insulin delivery system called MiniMed 780G (Medtronic) via public healthcare.
In the EU it has been considered and legislated in very detail how to protect individuals in the EU concerning their private data. The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is actually the strictest existing law protecting individual’s privacy in the whole world. I remember when the GDPR came into force, it was quite complicated. I think here in Finland we really try to do our best and thereby even overreacted, because the law was not the easiest one to interpret. I am quite sure it was an expensive law to operate with, while updating all the data protection systems etc. Of course the GDPR is something that comes up when we are planning for example data collecting in any kind of a research or setting up our new veterinary practice management software. If we don’t know for sure or understand enough about data protection we have luckily the university lawyers there to help us. It has also been discussed, does the GDPR make some healthcare research impossible or at least very difficult if researchers cannot gain enough information from public health records. I think it’s good though when you really have to think and justify every detail in your research before accessing the patient data records.
ChatGPT
I asked the ChatGPT about the work of biomedical laboratory scientist now and in the future. I made the question in Finnish and the ChatGPT was very aware about the job in healthcare laboratories and diagnostics. It told me that the job description is changing quickly nowadays because of the rapid changes in technology, automation and the role of data meaning more and more. It knew well the main special areas, that are clinical chemistry, hematology, microbiology, genetics and molecular biology and pathology. I am a little surprised there were clinical physiology and neurophysiology missing in ChatGPT’s list. ChatGPT listed taking samples and analyzing them automatically and manually, interpretation of the results and quality controlling, calibrating and maintaining the laboratory machines and collaboration with the doctors and other healthcare professionals as typical work tasks of the biomedical laboratory scientist. The most important traits are accuracy and meticulousness, good technical skills, fast bias reacting and strong ethical skills and data protection. I have to say, that I agree with the ChatGPT.
The future looks also quite acceptable in ChatGPT’s listing. It predicts that evolving technical and IT skills and continuous learning will become more and more important and of course AI will help in diagnostics. Managing methods in genetics and bioinformatics will be a thing. I am a little bit skeptical about those bioinformatics skills that would be needed. There is after all specialists for that area of expertise in university. I really don’t think it would be part of my job even in the future.
I also asked about working as a biomedical laboratory scientist in veterinary sciences. Now I was quite amazed because it could name for example Movet laboratory in Kuopio as a working place, and also some other specific places like Ruokavirasto and THL. What I liked the most in the answer was that it mentioned One Health thinking and collaboration between veterinary and human medicine. That is an important point of view already now!
Overall ChatGPT’s answers are still quite vague. But it will learn to be more specific. It may use old references and old institute names like it mentioned Evira beside Ruokavirasto. It can combine similar looking things like bioinformatics and biomedical laboratory science.
Self evaluation
I learned a lot about digital society. And I learned that I still don’t know much about it. Technology and digitalisation are taking so huge leaps all the time, that I am not sure if mankind can really follow and understand what is happening. Openness and transparency are very important things and we never should forget the meaning of the human touch! Digitalisation and technology cannot replace the humanity.
I realised that the GDPR really is a difficult law and I think I have to learn more about it. But I am also happy that I don’t need to understand everything. There are other people for that area of expertise like lawyers.
Sometimes I feel very old when trying to understand the world around me. Everything is happening too fast and I cannot control even a tiny bit about it. Those are the moments when I have to forget digital society and walk to the nature listening to the birds and feeling the wind and trees etc.
References:
https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/products/minimed-780g-insulin-pump-system
These are the blogs I visited and commented on:
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