Electronic Public Services

At the moment, I use only a few services provided by Kela. The Kela card belongs in every Finn’s wallet, as it entitles the holder to health insurance reimbursements. The most recent matter I have handled with Kela was the student healthcare fee for higher education students. I can access my personal information by logging into the OmaKela service using my online banking credentials. On the homepage, I can see information about my current medication reimbursement rights. Under healthcare reimbursements, I can also find information about my annual medication deductible accumulation. I do not usually monitor this because my medication expenses are relatively low. In addition, I can see the private healthcare services I have used and for which I have received reimbursement from Kela. The decisions and documents section also shows sickness allowance payments made to my employer.

I initially thought that I have very little interaction with Kela nowadays, but reviewing my personal information revealed how significant Kela’s role has been in my life. In the past, I have received rehabilitation services through Kela. Earlier in life, I also received several family benefits through Kela, including child benefit, maternity allowance, parental allowance, and home care allowance.

A person is entitled to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by Kela if they are covered by Finnish health insurance or if Finland is responsible for their healthcare costs. I have previously used the international Kela card and ordered it for travel abroad. The card is valid for a limited period, and Kela automatically sends a new card to the holder’s home when needed.

In my work, I need to be familiar with Kela benefits and rehabilitation opportunities. For example, I prepare summaries of patient treatment that physicians can use when writing the statements required by Kela. Many mental health rehabilitation clients receive sickness allowance, rehabilitation allowance, or rehabilitative psychotherapy funded by Kela.

People can access their healthcare information through OmaKanta by identifying themselves with online banking credentials or a mobile certificate. I use OmaKanta mostly on my smartphone to renew prescriptions and review records of my healthcare visits. OmaKanta also allows users to give or deny consent for sharing their health information and to create advance healthcare directives and organ donation wishes. Through Suomi.fi authorization, it is also possible to manage matters on behalf of another person.

Keva’s online services also require identification through online banking credentials. Through the service, I can see my estimated retirement age and pension amount. At the age of 62 years and 6 months, I could potentially qualify for a partial old-age pension. The difference between my estimated retirement age (65 years and 6 months) and my target retirement age is one year and six months, which would increase my pension by only about €150 per month. I was surprised to learn that pension accrual continues until the age of 70. The longer a person remains in working life, the more pensions they accumulate. However, I doubt that pension accrual alone will significantly extend careers. How many people can continue working until the age of 70? Why not save for retirement earlier in life and thereby maintain the same standard of living enjoyed during employment?

Should I Buy a Product from my sofa or drive to a shopping centre?

Everyday life is busy, and digitalization makes it easier. Grocery shopping can be done through various applications, and products can either be delivered to your door or picked up from a collection point. Digital stores offer consumers a wide range of choices and make it easy to compare product quality and prices. Online shopping makes consumption convenient, but it is not risk-free. Many people have experienced situations where a product did not meet expectations or never arrived despite payment.

I explored Amazon for the first time. Amazon is a well-known American company where almost anything can be purchased conveniently. I compared the prices of wireless Sony headphones on Amazon and at a local Prisma store. On Amazon, the headphones cost €32.90, plus delivery costs 10.29 €. The same product cost 39 € at Prisma. Both stores provided sufficient product information. However, when delivery costs were included, the Amazon purchase would have been more expensive.

I prefer supporting domestic companies whenever possible and like to use Finnish online stores, applications, or traditional brick-and-mortar shops. Different online services make price comparison easy. For example, Trivago allows users to compare hotels and flights for their holidays. Traditional travel agencies seem to be becoming increasingly rare.

Therapy Navigator as a Tool for Assessing the Need for Care

From the digital services available in my professional field, I chose Therapy Navigator (Terapianavigaattori). It was introduced rapidly around the same time that Finland’s wellbeing services counties began operating, meaning it has only been in use for a few years. Citizens can use it for self-assessment of their wellbeing. However, Therapy Navigator still requires more promotion so that people can easily find it.

Therapy Navigator is classified as a medical device and can be completed without electronic identification, enabling equal access to care assessment. It maps a respondent’s life situation as well as any difficulties or problems they may have experienced. The service incorporates key questionnaires used in assessing the need for care. Based on the responses, a summary is generated, which can be used—with the respondent’s consenting care needs assessments when seeking services. Citizens are encouraged to complete the Therapy Navigator before seeking services because it helps them find appropriate support more quickly. The summary can also be attached to patient records.

Initially, completing the Therapy Navigator felt burdensome. The more severe the symptoms are, the more questions are asked. Completing it may take up to 30 minutes. If a person is tired, depressed, or struggling to concentrate, can they realistically complete it accurately? In my opinion, it is important that the responses are still reviewed through discussion with a professional so that additional clarifying questions can be asked when necessary. The summary itself is brief and mainly indicates the types of symptoms suggested by the responses. It also encourages users to seek help if the results indicate moderate or severe symptoms.

Digitalization and the Digital Divide

Mental health patients are in a particularly vulnerable position and may risk being left behind as society develops unless they receive sufficient support in using new forms of services. Technology design must pay special attention to the risk of digital exclusion among disadvantaged groups. Using technology requires investments in devices as well as the skills needed to use them. Finland’s Act on the Provision of Digital Services guides the accessibility of digital services. Accessibility means removing barriers in the online environment through appropriate technology, customer-oriented design, ease of use, and understandable content.

As digital services and technology have developed, I have observed how older people are increasingly becoming secondary users of services. The use of Kanta services is often taken for granted. However, using the service becomes problematic if a person lacks digital skills or does not own the necessary devices. Furthermore, individuals without online banking credentials must use a certificate card for strong identification. This requires a chip-enabled identity card, a computer with a card reader, and installed card-reading software. To me, this does not sound simple or accessible at all.

Consider a situation where a person discovers at a pharmacy that their prescription has expired. The pharmacy charges an additional fee if the prescription renewal request is made through the pharmacy. Similarly, receiving responses from healthcare providers is easier through digital channels. Kanta users can quickly view information electronically, while postal mail introduces delays. Through Kanta, users can also grant permissions related to the processing of their personal information or create advance healthcare directives. For those who do not use the service, such matters may remain unresolved because healthcare appointments rarely provide extra time to discuss them with professionals.

Everyone should have an equal opportunity to participate in society. Most public services are already digital. While society expresses concern about social exclusion, it simultaneously contributes to exclusion by closing local service points and concentrating services in fewer locations. There is a risk that people will be unable to manage their affairs because access to services increasingly requires smart devices, online banking credentials, and digital skills.

The Digital Competence Wheel

The digital competence test was both interesting and new to me. My strengths were communication, social interaction, and, somewhat surprisingly, information security. I am careful about my identity and think carefully about what information I want to share about myself. According to the test, I am also able to critically evaluate digital information. Nevertheless, I sometimes feel uncertain about my knowledge of cybersecurity. I am not particularly strong in creating new digital services. In my profession, I work with established platforms that have been carefully designed and whose security complies with legislation.

Self-Assessment

This assignment illustrates how important digitalization is in our lives and in the functioning of society. Managing everyday matters is smooth when one knows how to find information. Completing this assignment would not have been possible without sufficient digital skills and the necessary technological tools.

Assessing my own digital skills through the test helped me understand my level of digital competence and identify areas where I should focus more attention. Completing the assignment also made me reflect on how quickly we have transitioned into the digital age. I still remember a time when I paid my bills using the payment machines located in the lobby of a bank.

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https://blogi.savonia.fi/roniturtiainen

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