Impact of digitalisation on social services
Published: 2 April 2020
To support the European Commission’s objective of ensuring Europe is fit for the digital age, this report examines the use of digital technologies in social services and the policies that promote digital transformation. The report explores some of the main issues involved in implementing digitalisation strategies and using digital technologies in social services, as well as some of the measures that have been put in place to overcome barriers. The overall aim is to work towards closing the knowledge gap regarding the opportunities and risks associated with technological change in this area.
Evidence on the impact of digitalisation on social services is limited, in part because many of these technologies are still emerging, but there is some evidence that the automation or reduction of administrative processes allows staff to increase their productivity and to dedicate more time to care-related tasks.
Digital technologies can achieve savings by reducing the need for more costly and intensive care, detecting fraud more effectively and ensuring that scarce resources are allocated more efficiently (for example, blockchain technology can help in the delivery and management of benefits).
Digital technologies can contribute to an increased sense of safety for users and have enabled older people to continue living in their own homes for longer.
Care provided with the aid of robots, telepresence and wearable devices can reduce the risk of contagion and ensure the continuity of care in case of quarantine, lockdown and/or social distancing.
Training of staff and users in the use of digital technologies is important, particularly in cases where care cannot be provided face to face or when there are sudden spikes in demand for health and social care services.
The executive summary for this publication is available in PDF format.
Figure 1: Digitalisation in the 2018 European Semester
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2020), Impact of digitalisation on social services, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
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