The focus of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health's research is on the potential of AI to reduce the burden of care work, increase job satisfaction, and improve the well-being of professionals, as well as the attractiveness and retention in care work. In addition to Efima and Attendo, Iiwari Tracking Solutions is also involved in the research project.
The research is based on an AI solution developed by Efima for Attendo, which utilizes Microsoft's Azure AI environment speech recognition technology combined with Efima's own components. The application is not just about transcribing and categorizing speech: it allows caregivers' entries to be automatically transferred to the resident information system after approval using software robotics.
This technology frees up caregivers' time and improves the quality of documentation, which in turn raises the level of care. The application has been developed in close collaboration with caregivers, and their perspectives have been central from the beginning.
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health's research investigates the effects of AI on the safety, occupational health, and well-being of care workers. At the same time, it analyzes the development process of the AI application and examines how AI can increase the proportion of actual care work – enabling more genuine interactions between caregivers and residents.
Iiwari Tracking Solutions' positioning technology helps to assess the broader impact of AI-based documentation. With positioning data, we can potentially distinguish between direct and indirect work done by caregivers. Thus, for the first time, we have the opportunity to study the difference between these based on data.
The research, which lasts for over a year, combines the perspectives of caregivers, supervisors, management, and developers. This creates a comprehensive overview of the experiences and impacts of using AI in care work.
In the previous "Effective Care" (Vaikuttavaa hoivaa) development project, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health found that AI solutions based on speech recognition technology can reduce the time spent on documentation, alleviate the workload of care staff, improve the quality of documentation, and promote job satisfaction. The current research aims to deepen this understanding and verify the long-term benefits of the solutions.
"Documentation is a significant time-consuming task in the daily life of care homes and at the same time a very important enabler of quality care. It's great that we get help from AI for both time management and the quality of documentation. AI will play a big role in the future of care, freeing up time for interactions. It's wonderful to get researched information to promote successful implementations in the care home environment", commented Minna Nissinen, Director of Business Development at Attendo Oy.
"At Efima, we have already been able to verify the benefits of AI in several customer projects. In the new research project of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, the concrete benefits of the AI application in care work are specifically evaluated, and we look forward to being able to share the broader impact of our AI project", said Sami Sipiläinen, Customer Director at Efima.
"It's great to be able to offer indoor positioning data alongside caregiver call systems for researching the impact of new technological innovations. It is particularly significant that the focus is on caregivers and their well-being", commented Esa Viljamaa, COO of Iiwari Tracking Solutions.
"AI applications are increasingly becoming part of care work, and it is interesting to study the work identity of care professionals in this changing work environment", described Tiina Koivisto, Senior Specialist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
Attendo Oy, Director of Business Development Minna Nissinen
minna.nissinen@attendo.fi, +358 40 766 6726
Efima Oyj, Customer Director Sami Sipiläinen
sami.sipilainen@efima.com, +358 40 078 9992
Iiwari Tracking Solutions, COO, Esa Viljamaa
esa.viljamaa@iiwari.com, +358 400 911 201
Työterveyslaitos, Senior Specialist Tiina Koivisto
tiina.koivisto@ttl.fi, +358 43 824 5928
Attendo is the leading provider of care services in the Nordic countries. Attendo's mission is to empower people so that everyone living at Attendo can live a full life that reflects their own preferences. The company offers care and housing services for the elderly, people with developmental disabilities, the injured, substance abuse and mental health rehabilitators, as well as those in need of child protection and therapy. For its residents, Attendo is primarily a home, for stakeholders a partner, and in society a strong force for change. Over 18,000 employees serve Attendo's more than 400 locations across Finland.
www.attendo.fi
Efima promotes the growth of large and medium-sized companies by streamlining and automating their business processes and creating competitive advantage through innovative use of AI and data. Our services focus on modern technologies, strong business understanding, and a developing and personalized partnership with our customers. Over 250 top experts assist our customers at our offices in Helsinki and Tampere.
www.efima.com
Iiwari is a Finnish company that develops real-time indoor positioning solutions. These solutions can enhance and improve processes in healthcare and retail sectors, among others. In healthcare, Iiwari's main product is a mobile caregiver call system, whose data supports the development of work processes and patient safety. Iiwari's solutions are used in Finland, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway.
www.iiwari.com
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health is Finland's leading expert on working life. The institute conducts multidisciplinary research on the relationship between work and health and brings research knowledge into practical solutions to support everyday work.
www.ttl.fi