Information systems have only partially improved the quality of patient work and services
Half of nurses (54%) and one third of doctors and professional social workers (35%) estimated that information systems help to improve the quality of care or service. This information emerges from surveys that were forwarded through trade unions to users of social welfare and health care information systems. Over 9,000 nurses, doctors and professional social workers using a client or patient information system in their work responded to the surveys. Professionals estimated that they are experienced users of the client or patient information system.
“The mere introduction of information systems does not guarantee that they will be beneficial. In addition to the systems, the work community must learn new working methods and agree on common practices,” says Tuulikki Vehko, Research Manager at THL.
The clients’ ability to use electronic social welfare and health care services was also examined in the monitoring of the digitalisation of social welfare and health care. An extensive population survey revealed that the adult population is well qualified to use electronic social welfare and health care services. However, the use of e-services was rarer in the oldest age groups. The need for guidance on the use of services varied in different wellbeing services counties: 14 per cent of Helsinki residents and 28 per cent of those living in South Ostrobothnia felt that they needed guidance.
Approximately one fifth of the population had contacted a social welfare or health care professional via electronic services in 2020. 64 per cent of the adult population had used My Kanta during the year.
“Electronic services have established their position in Finnish health care and enabled the provision of new types of treatment to clients, such as communicating with professionals regardless of the time or place. On the other hand, the new service offering and the provision of services on varying digital platforms have caused uncertainty in many areas and excluded some of the population from these services,” says Researcher Maiju Kyytsönen.
The digitalisation of social welfare and health care has been monitored through surveys since 2010. In 2020 and 2021, six data collections were carried out to produce data for the monitoring of the ‘Information to support well-being and service renewal, eHealth and eSocial Strategy’.
The surveys were carried out in the scope of a project that monitors and evaluates social welfare and health care information system services (STePS 3.0). Some of the results presented in the report are also openly available in database cubes. THL will continue data collection after the project has ended.
Further information
E-health and e-welfare of Finland. Checkpoint 2022
Contact information
Questions concerning the Follow-up and evaluation of the information system services in social welfare and health care project (STePS 3.0):
Tuulikki Vehko
Research Manager
THL
tel. +358 29 524 7321
[email protected]
Citizens’ experiences of electronic social welfare and health care services
Maiju Kyytsönen
Researcher
THL
tel. +358 29 524 7442
[email protected]
