What National DIGIHEALTH Research Reveals About Workforce Readiness
Lithuania presents an interesting case in the European digital health landscape. With 98.9% 5G coverage and a functioning national eHealth system (e-sveikata), the country has built much of the technical infrastructure required for modern, digital healthcare delivery. On paper, the conditions for effective digitalisation are firmly in place.
Yet findings from the DIGIHEALTH national research suggest a more complex reality. The challenge is no longer whether digital systems exist, but whether they are meaningfully embedded in everyday care practice — particularly among the professionals who deliver the majority of hands-on care.
Lithuania’s eHealth system enables access to electronic prescriptions and patient data across the country, creating a shared digital backbone for healthcare services. However, interviews with caregivers, educators, and stakeholders reveal that daily practice does not always reflect this level of system development.
Digital tools are used, but often in limited or uneven ways. In some care settings, assistants rely on mobile phones to complete reports or access information. In others, digital systems are used primarily for administrative recording rather than as integrated tools supporting care delivery.
At the same time, additional platforms — such as locally used applications like GoFocus.lt — operate alongside national systems without full interoperability. This creates a fragmented digital environment, where information and workflows are spread across multiple tools that do not always communicate effectively.
One of the most distinctive findings from the Lithuanian research is the role care assistants play in relation to digital tools.
Rather than being direct users of healthcare technologies, care assistants are often positioned as intermediaries. They support patients in accessing digital services — for example, helping them log into e-health portals or retrieve prescriptions — without necessarily being fully integrated into the systems themselves.
This indirect use highlights a structural gap. Care assistants are central to patient interaction, yet their engagement with digital systems remains partial. As a result, digitalisation does not fully extend to the level of care where it could have the greatest practical impact.
The research also points to significant variation in digital competences across the workforce. While digital literacy is formally included in vocational training programmes, its application in practice is inconsistent.
Importantly, the issue cannot be reduced to age alone. While some educators observe that younger professionals adapt more quickly, others report that digital skill levels are generally low regardless of age or qualification level. This suggests that the challenge is systemic rather than generational.
Motivation and perception play an equally important role. Some professionals do not yet see a strong need to shift from established manual processes, particularly when digital systems are perceived as complex or time-consuming. Others recognise the long-term benefits but lack the time or structured support to develop the necessary skills.
Across interviews, there is clear agreement that digital tools have the potential to improve care delivery. Care assistants and stakeholders highlight benefits such as:
At the same time, the transition phase introduces additional pressure. Learning to use new systems requires time, and in already demanding work environments, this can initially be experienced as an added burden rather than an immediate benefit.
Lithuania’s healthcare system operates within a well-defined legal framework, with strict rules governing care provision, documentation, and data protection. This ensures high standards and accountability, but also shapes how digital tools are implemented and used.
Interviewees emphasise that data protection and privacy are taken seriously, with practices such as anonymisation used in daily work. However, concerns remain about system reliability and the risk of data breaches, particularly when technologies are not fully integrated or user-friendly.
In addition, the design of digital systems themselves presents challenges. Stakeholders note that some platforms are not intuitive, making them difficult to use for professionals with limited digital confidence. Without user-centred design, even well-developed systems can fail to achieve widespread adoption.
A recurring theme throughout the research is the gap between system availability and workforce readiness.
Although digital literacy is part of formal education, interviewees stress the need for more practical, hands-on training. Theoretical instruction alone is not sufficient to prepare care assistants for real-world digital tasks, particularly in complex and fast-paced care environments.
There is also a need to expand training beyond basic skills. Competencies such as remote communication with healthcare professionals, digital documentation, and the use of specialised tools are becoming increasingly important in everyday care work.
Lithuania is well positioned to advance its digital healthcare system. The technical foundations are in place, and there is clear recognition among stakeholders of the benefits digitalisation can bring.
However, future progress will depend on addressing three key areas:
Demographic trends add further urgency. With over one-fifth of the population aged 65 and above, demand for efficient, coordinated, and accessible care services will continue to grow. Digital tools have a critical role to play in meeting this demand — but only if they are effectively used.
The Lithuanian findings closely reflect the broader challenges that DIGIHEALTH aims to address.
They highlight the importance of:
By focusing specifically on care assistants and home helpers, DIGIHEALTH responds directly to the gap identified in the research: the need to bring digital competence development closer to the realities of frontline care.
The experience of Lithuania underscores a wider lesson for digital healthcare transformation. Technology alone does not drive change. Systems may be in place, but their value depends on how they are used — and by whom.
Care assistants are already part of the digital ecosystem, even if their role is not always fully recognised. Strengthening their skills, confidence, and access to digital tools is not a secondary step in the transformation process. It is central to making digital healthcare work in practice.
