JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digitalisation is seen as a way to reduce the negative environmental impacts of healthcare production, but research is still limited.

Objective:

This study identifies the climate impacts and social impacts – both positive and negative – of digital home care and healthcare services through two Finnish case studies. Our main focus is on medicine robot services for older home care clients.

Methods:

Impacts are identified in interview and statistical data collected from public service providers and technology suppliers using both quantitative and qualitative assessments.

Results:

While a well-planned and well-implemented digital service is likely to be a climate-friendly option, every digitalisation action carries at least some negative impacts. The design, architecture and practical implementation of these services greatly affect their climate and social impacts.

Conclusions:

This study employs a novel combination of impact assessment methods, highlighting the importance of qualitative understanding alongside quantitative approaches for interpreting results, especially when numerical data are limited. Advocating for multi-method impact assessments is crucial to properly capturing the service context and promoting holistic sustainability thinking.