Digitalisation in my own field of expertise

I have worked as a pharmacist at Kela since 2004 in various positions. Over the years, my work has included processing applications and pharmacy accounts, customer service, expert work, training and supervisory duties. Digitalisation has had a huge impact on my work over the past two decades.

When I started in my current job, most of the applications were processed manually and the job also involved a lot of traditional mailing. One of my early tasks even included reading a floppy disk! Contacts inside and outside the organization were handled primarily by telephone or letter and for example possible trainings and meetings were held face-to-face in conference rooms. Within the organization, digitalisation has renewed the tools for doing work. The information systems  have been developed, which has made the work significantly more efficient. Mailing has decreased with the electronic data transmission. Today, staff often communicate through electronic channels, such as the Skype instant messaging service and the development of the organization’s online services has also facilitated and improved customer service. Digital solutions have also impacted training, orientation and meetings. The digital learning environment and e-learning schools are enabling a higher number of participants at time and the possibility of digital distance learning and distance meetings reduces the need to travel.

Although much has been done, the systems, services and operations in my field will certainly continue to evolve, as almost all reforms and changes in the law will also require changes to the systems, which must be compatible with pharmacies and healthcare systems. I see a lot of opportunities, especially in terms of direct compensation and information change between pharmacies and Kela. In matters related to the electronic applications, not everything is possible yet. At present, the reimbursement for medicine expenses cannot be claimed online, but the application and other relevant documents must be sent to Kela by post.  Developing an online application would take this forward. In the future, I would also like to see the possibility of using an some sort of electronic Kela card or other similar mobile application that would update, for example, the current special compensation information and amount of annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket costs from Kela when using it. This kind of system is already used between Kela and pharmacies, but it could be useful for customers too.

Overall, digitalisation has certainly increased the efficiency of work and life in general, but also its rapid pace and urgency. A change in the pace of work often also requires a change in working methods. In recent years, many companies have considered and implemented technical solutions based on, among other things, robotics and artificial intelligence. When routine tasks are delegated to robots, people have more time, for example, to serve customers with special needs. I believe this trend will continue to grow in the future.

Picture: Pixabay

GDPR and risks of open digital society

Today, we are increasingly dependent on a variety of digital services and systems. The change of the operating environment and open digital society offers many benefits, such as the expansion and development of services. At the same time it is important to develop digital security systems in order to maintain user confidence.  Users of the services must also be more careful and cautious. Especially when processing personal data, everyone should be able to identify phishing and know how to protect your privacy. In addition, password management and the safe use of social media, among other things, should be considered carefully. Without these skills, the risk of data leakage, for example for criminal purposes, increases.

In the spring of 2018, all EU countries began applying the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which aims to provide better protection and more control over the processing of personal data.  In my own work organization, GDPR shows up in many ways. When the regulation came into force, all staff in the organization were trained in data protection issues and the privacy statements in the personal registers were updated to comply with the EU data protection regulation. Each organization’s personal register has a Privacy Statement, which provides more information about the processing of personal information. The organization also strictly adheres to the principles of the EU Data Protection Regulation. For example, personal data is only processed by those who have the right to process it in accordance with their job duties.

In my personal life, GDPR has increased requests from companies to access and process my information, for example, when I visit their websites or when I use health services. Although inquiries sometimes annoy and slow down the use of the service, I still find it positive that I have the right to inspect and delete information collected about me if necessary. As a user of the digital services, I also consider it important that the information collected about me is not allowed to be stored unnecessarily. I feel that it contributes to reducing the risk of my personal information falling into the wrong hands.

My comments to others

I commented on these two blogs:

Tiina Tyrväinen
“You described well the challenges of developing digital services for different customer groups. Like you said, the same formula doesn’t work for everyone, and it’s important to know your customer to understand different needs. Although I myself often want to use the opportunity for independent transactions, I agree with you that the need for human interaction cannot be replaced even by the best technical solutions.”

Tiina Hämäläinen
“I have similar experiences with the digital leap caused by the Covid-19 virus. When we moved to home offices, the interaction of the work community has largely relied on Skype. Although this way of working suits me well, I also sometimes find myself longing for face-to-face contacts.“

Self evaluation

I found this task was very eye-opening and interesting. Reflecting on the effects of digitalization in my own work was nostalgic and outlined how quickly things have changed. I also found that GDPR is easier to perceive through a work role than through personal life. Even though I already know something about it, as a civilian, it is certainly useful to learn more.