Towards socially inclusive digital society: transforming service culture (DigiIn)
The research was funded by Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland.
Main funder
Funder's project number: 327149
Funds granted by main funder (€)
- 439 199,00
Funding program
Project timetable
Project start date: 01/06/2019
Project end date: 28/02/2023
Summary
The increase of digital health and welfare services demands a cultural change from organisations, professionals and citizens. As the new services support self-management and self-service, citizens are expected to step into a more skilled and active role, while professionals need to change their work processes and professional identity. There is a severe risk that new digital services will increase social exclusion if the service culture is not sufficiently adapted to support the most vulnerable groups such as older people, migrants, substance abusers, prisoners, and people with mental disorders. The service processes need to be redefined to include the digitalised steps and support for clients. This requires fundamental changes in professionals’ work and organizational processes, which may also endanger the success of digital services. The present project focuses on the increased digitalisation of health and welfare services and aims to find solutions to keep everybody along and alleviate the social inequality in the increasingly digitalised society.
We will address these issues by focusing on five, inter-linked themes: 1) Preventing social exclusion with engaging digital services, 2) Promoting organisations’ and professionals’ new service and work culture, 3) Enhancing inclusion of older people in digital service culture, 4) Tackling the challenges of digitalisation in multicultural society and 5) Supporting socially marginalised groups with the use of digitalised public services.
To get a broad view of the phenomenon we will use a wide range of research methodologies. We will utilize large national panel and consecutive cross-sectional surveys to eHealth service providers, professionals and specific groups in endanger of exclusion. To get a more in-depth view, we will utilize qualitative methods such as case studies, eHealth service trials, policy analyses, interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic study methods. Moreover, we will conduct a quasi-experimental intervention study about possibilities to use digital tools among older people.
The societal impact and dissemination of the results of the project are warranted because of the well-established connections of the partners with the essential stakeholders. As a result of this project, the service culture is transformed to better support social inclusion; solutions will be created for supporting professionals and organisations in this change and the interaction between digitalisation and different cultures will be promoted.
We will address these issues by focusing on five, inter-linked themes: 1) Preventing social exclusion with engaging digital services, 2) Promoting organisations’ and professionals’ new service and work culture, 3) Enhancing inclusion of older people in digital service culture, 4) Tackling the challenges of digitalisation in multicultural society and 5) Supporting socially marginalised groups with the use of digitalised public services.
To get a broad view of the phenomenon we will use a wide range of research methodologies. We will utilize large national panel and consecutive cross-sectional surveys to eHealth service providers, professionals and specific groups in endanger of exclusion. To get a more in-depth view, we will utilize qualitative methods such as case studies, eHealth service trials, policy analyses, interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic study methods. Moreover, we will conduct a quasi-experimental intervention study about possibilities to use digital tools among older people.
The societal impact and dissemination of the results of the project are warranted because of the well-established connections of the partners with the essential stakeholders. As a result of this project, the service culture is transformed to better support social inclusion; solutions will be created for supporting professionals and organisations in this change and the interaction between digitalisation and different cultures will be promoted.
Principal Investigator
Other persons related to this project (JYU)
Primary responsible unit
Follow-up groups
Related publications and other outputs
1 of 2
- Attunement as a practice of encountering dementia time in long-term eldercare work (2024) Hämäläinen, Antti; et al.; A1; OA
- Mobile phone use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic : a panel study of older adults in seven countries (2024) Taipale, Sakari; et al.; A1; OA
- COVID-19 information source and behavior preference in later life : the role of health satisfaction, socio-demographic background, and country of residence (2023) Rosenberg, Dennis; et al.; A1; OA
- Individual and shared digital repertoires : older adults managing digital services (2023) Hänninen, Riitta; et al.; A1; OA
- Older Adults Learning Digital Skills Together : Peer Tutors’ Perspectives on Non-Formal Digital Support (2023) Korpela, Viivi; et al.; A1; OA
- The paradoxes and pragmatics of digital leisure in later life (2023) Hänninen, Riitta; et al.; A1; OA
- Adoption of a COVID-19 Contact Tracing App Among Older Internet Users in Finland (2022) Taipale, Sakari; et al.; A4; OA; 978-3-031-05581-2
- Digital skills and application use among Finnish home care workers in the eldercare sector (2022) Rantala, Eero; et al.; A3; OA; 978-1-003-15531-7
- Enhancing Older Adults’ Digital Inclusion Through Social Support : A Qualitative Interview Study (2022) Kuoppamäki, Sanna; et al.; A3; OA; 978-3-030-94122-2
- Health and self-perceived barriers to internet use among older migrants : a population-based study (2022) Kouvonen, Anne; et al.; A1; OA
