In My Kanta Pages, acting on behalf of someone else is currently possible only for parents or guardians of a child under 10 years of age. After the deployment of the functionality of acting on behalf of a minor, the age limit of 10 years will no longer be applied. This will take place as from the latter part of 2020. Acting on behalf of someone else based on authorisation or a decision on guardianship will be possible in My Kanta Pages in the future.
Acting on behalf of a minor
When a parent or guardian acts on behalf of a child under 10 in My Kanta Pages, they will log in to the service with their own username and password, and then select the Child’s data link and the child in question. The right to view a minor’s data is verified from the Population Information System. Further information about acting on behalf of a minor and the related limitations, e.g. in shared custody situations is available here:
Expansion of acting on behalf of a minor
The right of a parent or guardian to act on behalf of all minors in My Kanta Pages will be made possible in stages during 2020. This requires that the patient data systems are technically capable of submitting an assessment recorded in the healthcare service concerning a minor’s decision-making capacity to the Kanta Services. Changes in the information systems are implemented at different speeds in healthcare organisations. Once the changes have been implemented, a healthcare professional will assess a minor’s capacity in a care situation and record in the patient data system the wishes of a minor who is capable of making decisions concerning sharing of data with the parents or guardians.
The assessment of the decision-making capacity and any refusal to share data always apply to an individual appointment or treatment period and the related documents. The information must be entered in a structured way in connection with both the appointment and the prescription.
A minor who has been assessed to be capable of making decisions may refuse to share the following data with his or her parents or guardians:
- information related to the appointment
- information related to the treatment period
- information related to prescriptions.
Benefits of acting on behalf of a minor
Showing the data concerning a minor in My Kanta Pages
- supports the participation and the right to access by parents or guardians
- strengthens the minor’s right to a confidential patient care relationship
- improves the flow of information and reduces the number of letters sent by post
- enables viewing of data regardless of time or place.
Some data may remain undisclosed
Not all health data concerning a minor will necessarily be accessible by parents or guardians in My Kanta Pages. This applies especially to minors who
- are over 10 years of age during the transition stage of the deployment of the functionality
- visit a healthcare unit whose patient data system still does not support the functionality of acting on behalf of a minor.
In these cases, the following can be viewed in My Kanta Pages:
- the child’s health data created before the age of 10
- data recorded after it has been possible to make entries in the patient data system in accordance with the new functionality.
Data concerning a child over 10 years of age that has no accompanying information about the minor’s decision-making capacity and their wish to share data will not be shown to parents or guardians.
Healthcare services are not required to retrospectively enter in the minor’s information the assessment of the minor’s decision-making capacity or the minor’s opinion on sharing data with their parents or guardians.
Acting on behalf of a person over the age of 18
Currently, there are no functions in My Kanta Pages for acting on behalf of a person over the age of 18, and it is not possible even based on authorisation or a decision on guardianship. It is estimated that acting on behalf of a person over 18 in My Kanta Pages based on an e-authorisation will become possible towards the end of 2020.
The granting of an authorisation uses the Suomi.fi authorisations (suomi.fi) of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, which means that granting of authorisations requires strong identification, e.g. with online banking codes or a mobile certificate. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is also developing an option of granting authorisation by visiting the authorities, in which case electronic identification methods are not required.
The acting of guardians on behalf of their client will become possible after the data on guardianship and the contents of the decision on guardianship can be utilised with the Suomi.fi authorisations.
Acting on behalf of someone in social welfare services
Client data in social welfare services will be shown in My Kanta Pages as from 2021 at the earliest. This means that acting on behalf of someone in My Kanta Pages on the basis of custody or electronic authorisation will also be possible in terms of client data in social welfare services.