Debate article: “Digital healthcare is for everyone – but accessibility work must continue to develop”

Nedan är en debattartikel som Janniche Kristofferssen, UX-chef, och Stina Perdahl, medicinsk chef, skrev som svar på Afasiförbundets debattartikel kring digitala tjänster i vården (in Swedish). The response was published in many newspapers, including Barometern, Dagens Kalmar, Dala-Demokraten, Norran, and Nynäshamns Posten (all in Swedish)

We have great respect for the Aphasia Association’s concern that patients experience difficulties with the digital care solutions and we share the view that the contact routes to the care must be adapted to the patient’s ability and needs.

Digital entry points should not replace, but complement, telephone and other contact channels.

Digitalization is not only about efficiency, but also about making healthcare contacts more accessible and equal. Many people, both young and old, prefer to interact with healthcare digitally rather than by phone. Older people and people with disabilities often appreciate the opportunity to communicate in writing and at their own pace.

Reading through questions and answers carefully, being able to pause and resume the process, and the ability to go back and see what was agreed, are examples of how digital care can provide peace of mind and a better overview of care contacts. Many patients, with physical, mental or cognitive disabilities, have described that they can now, for the first time, have an independent dialog with their healthcare provider on equal terms.

The digital gateways do not aim to reduce accessibility over the phone but, on the contrary, to free up resources and time for healthcare professionals, who can then have more time to meet patients both in person and over the phone.

Accessibility work is an ongoing process that we give high priority to. We follow the guidelines of the Act on the Accessibility of Digital Public Services and continuously evaluate the product with users with different disabilities. We always welcome dialogue with patient organizations, and preferably also with the Aphasia Association, to further improve digital healthcare and make it more accessible to all.

Janniche Kristoffersen, Head of UX Platform24

Stina Perdahl, Chief Medical Officer Platform24