Enhancing Digital Competence in Healthcare Insights from Merja Tepponen

Transcript
00:00:05 Carita
Welcome to the e-health 24 podcast, where we discuss the digitalization of health care
and the possibilities of technology. Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Merja
Tepponen, doctor of health sciences and an expert in social and health care development.
Merja has extensive experience in development work, including serving as the lead prepare
for south Karelia welfare area and as director of development at Eksote welcome Merja.

00:00:44 Merja
Thank you for invitation.

00:00:46 Carita
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your career path? How did you come to work in
the development of the social and healthcare field?

00:00:58 Merja
OK,  my first profession was secretary in healthcare and then I go to the special nurse
in geriatric and later I made my master thesis and doctor thesis and I working in elder
care director and then I go to the develop director because I think that we need more in
every workplace, I think that we need develop, we must develop process and ICT and so on
and I think that personal centre process is very important.

00:01:40 Carita
In the upcoming conference, you're speaking about the digital competence of social and
healthcare staff. What is the current situation in the welfare areas or where are we
leading? And where is there still room for improvement?

00:01:58 Merja
In whole Finland we are very good level in competence but we have a gap in different
level in digital competition. I think that 30% of social and health care personnel don't
can use a computer or e-mail or video contact and they need learn more this.

00:02:21 Carita
That's quite important to know how to use basic.

00:02:26 Merja
Yes, but we have a deep learning people too and it's people who need basic level
practises and there in deep level we have very good.

00:02:37 Carita
That's good. You observe various welfare areas in action. In your view, what are some of
the best practises for successful developing in digital competence?

00:02:50 Merja
I think that in home care, people have developed very good competence. They have made
process, video visit, video contact patients and AI, they need AI in home care and they
support digital skills whole personnel in home care in many places in Finland.

00:03:11 Carita
Why is digital competence so essential in social and healthcare today, and how does it
impact patients and clients care?

00:03:20 Merja
If you're working in social healthcare, you can't working without this competence because
it's digital is coming in every process and every service.

00:03:31 Carita
What challenges have emerged in developing digital competence? Are there, for instance,
resource shortages or a need for attitude shifts to help staff to commit to digital tools?

00:03:48 Merja
I think that the working culture is very important in every places. If there is a
negative culture, changes not happened. But if there is positive attitude and
understanding of digital transformation, it's going quickly and consensus saying scare
with digital process is very important. If they don't have consensus, it happened nothing.

00:04:15 Carita
And it's important that if the leaders.

00:04:18 Merja
Yes, leadership is, and organisations, situation, readiness change is very important
thing.

00:04:24 Carita
Yes.

00:04:25 Merja
And effective feedback mechanism. If you do something very good you must give feedback in

00:04:32 Carita
Yes.

00:04:32 Merja
and it's very important leadership

00:04:36 Carita
Yes.

00:04:36 Merja
in different level.

00:04:37 Carita
Yeah.

00:04:41 Carita
What resources and forms of support are needed to continuously develop the digital
competence of social and healthcare staff? Is there enough training or mentorship
available?

00:04:57 Merja
I think it's very important, but it's not enough. We need give more support, more
digi-mentor system in all district.

00:05:07 Carita
What do you envision for the future of digital competence in social and healthcare in
which direction should it involve over the upcoming years?

00:05:19 Merja
I think in future is the use of AI very important and increasing strongly, AI becomes a
new colleague in your workplace. It's with you every day in future and it's going very
quickly.

00:05:39 Carita
What advice could you give to social and health care organisations that want to
strengthen their staff digital competence?

00:05:51 Merja
I think that trust and engagement in learning process is very and a culture of learning
is a key point if you want better practise in your professionals and experimental work
culture in your working place.

00:06:13 Carita
Thank you so much Merja, for sharing your thoughts and expertise on the current state and
development opportunities of digital competence in social and healthcare staff. This has
surely provided our listeners with valuable insights.

00:06:31 Carita
And thank you to all our listeners as well. Goodbye.