Asukaskehittäjien digitaalisten sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluiden käyttö – poikkileikkaustutkimus eräältä Suomen hyvinvointialueelta

Authors

  • Marketta Niemelä Nordic Healthcare Group Oy; Tampere University, Tampere
  • Elina Laukka University of Helsinki, Helsinki; University of applied sciences, Oulu
  • Susanna Martikainen Department of Health and Social Management, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio; Nordic Healthcare Group Oy

Keywords:

wellbeing services counties, digitalization, health services, social services, user experience, questionnaire survey

Abstract

Digitalization is a key strategy to ensure the availability and quality of healthcare and social welfare services. There is a need for knowledge about how digital services are actually used. This study reports the findings of a survey on resident developers’ use and experiences of digital services in a mid-sized wellbeing services county in Finland.
This cross-sectional study utilized as secondary data an online questionnaire with both fixed and open-ended questions, distributed via email to 310 resident developers, with a response rate of 30% (n=92) in August-September 2023. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 27, while open-ended responses were examined through thematic analysis.
A significant majority (84%) of respondents had used digital services, with 63% having digitally interacted with a healthcare professional. However, newer digital services such as chat, chatbots, and remote appointments were utilized by only 4–13% of respondents. Additionally, 24% of respondents still preferred using the phone for initial contact when facing a new service need. Nearly half (45%) of the respondents requested more user-friendly digital services, and 24% desired an increase in the availability of such services. The primary reason for not using digital services was the lack of services meeting the respondents’ needs (29%). A positive correlation was found between the perceived benefits of digital services and the frequency and diversity of their use.
Compared to general population surveys, resident developers were active users of digital healthcare and social welfare services, though newer digital services were infrequently used. There remain unmet needs for the development of digital services, particularly in terms of their findability, discoverability, and usability. Based on these findings, recommendations are provided for the development of digital services in wellbeing service counties, emphasizing the importance of value co-creation with residents to maximize the benefits of digitalization.

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Section
Scientific articles

Published

2024-12-31

How to Cite

Niemelä, M., Laukka, E., & Martikainen, S. (2024). Asukaskehittäjien digitaalisten sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluiden käyttö – poikkileikkaustutkimus eräältä Suomen hyvinvointialueelta . Finnish Journal of EHealth and EWelfare, 16(4), 473–488. https://doi.org/10.23996/fjhw.146777