Priorities for the Kanta Services confirmed for 2023
The Kanta Services will expand and become more versatile as citizens’ needs change and new laws enter into force. In 2023, development and deployment of the Kanta Services will focus on implementing the Client Data Act and the Kanta medication list. Development work is guided by the data needs created by the national health and social services reform as well as the secondary use of data content and knowledge management.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and Kela have published the 2023 priorities for the Kanta Services. The development of the Kanta Services is part of a broader roadmap for digitalisation and information management in the health and social services sector.
Advancing data sharing in health and social services
In 2023, services aimed at health care and social services providers and the My Kanta Pages services will promote tasks to implement the current Client Data Act.
Data sharing within and between the health care and social welfare sectors will become increasingly important as the wellbeing services counties start their operations. In the coming year, the utilisation of social welfare client data will be promoted using the Kanta Services both within and between the health care and social welfare sectors.
The management of measures to develop data sharing enables clients and patients to better manage the electronic processing of their own health care and social welfare data. In addition, social welfare client data will be available to customers on the My Kanta Pages in stages as the deployment of services in organisations progresses.
The Kanta Services will develop new health care data content related to access to primary healthcare, which is important for monitoring the implementation of the national health and social services reform; this data content includes appointment information, assessment documents concerning the need for treatment, and authorisation for outsourced services.
Development of the Kanta medication list is progressing
The Kanta medication list makes it easier for citizens and professionals alike to monitor up-to-date medication. In the future, the national medication list will show every medicine a person is taking with up-to-date information. The development of the medication list aims at promoting many of the features that facilitate the work of the prescribing physician and pharmacies. For example, a prescription history that automatically links prescriptions makes it possible to compile an outpatient medication list including the most recent prescriptions for each medicine. Meanwhile, the HL7 FIHR interfaces in the medication list will be further developed to comply with new system deliveries by information system suppliers.
Medication data management is developed in collaboration between national actors and the health care and social welfare sectors. The medication list will become visible to users as soon as the patient data systems and pharmacy systems have implemented the required changes in accordance with specifications.
The My Kanta Pages will be improved from a user-oriented perspective
The My Kanta Pages will provide citizens with the opportunity to store their wellbeing data for their own use. This functionality is a new feature and will initially be available with limited data content: weight, blood pressure and blood sugar. In the future, however, the plan is to enable this data to be shared with health care and social services professionals.
The aim is to promote the utilisation of the Kanta Services by updating the user interface of the My Kanta Pages. The update will be carried out in stages and in close cooperation with citizens. Accessibility and usability are a priority in all work to develop the My Kanta Pages.
Kanta deployment priorities for health care and social welfare organisations in 2023
When deploying the Kanta Services, health care and social welfare service providers must take into account the changes and transition periods outlined in the Client Data Act. The health care sector must adopt the new information about the Kanta Services in 2023 and the new form of consent to data sharing. In addition, denials of consent to the sharing of client, patient, and occupational health care data must taken into use no later than 1 January 2024.
The deployment of the authorisation for outsourced service and the access to social welfare registers allows for the utilisation of the Kanta Services in connection with outsourced services. The functionality allows patient data generated by the outsourced service to be electronically and securely shared between the service organiser and service provider. In addition, the deployment of the authorisation for outsourced services will enable the monitoring of overall access to primary health care in the future.
Phase 1 of the deployment of the Kanta medication list covers the 2022 version of the Pharmaceutical Database and structured dosage. The 2022 version of the Pharmaceutical Database must be deployed in health care by 30 September 2023. The package of amendments includes statutory changes to the prescription of biological medicines, which aims, among other things, to create savings on national pharmaceutical costs. The structured dosage must be deployed no later than 2025.
Social welfare service providers providing services in and on behalf of the wellbeing services counties must start using the client data archive for social welfare services by 1 September 2024. In order to fulfil the statutory obligation to join, the data system to be deployed must support, among other things, the acknowledgement of receipt of information about the Kanta Services, consent to data sharing in social services, and structured client documents.
Private health care providers must advance the deployment of the Patient Data Repository if an electronic patient information system is in use.
In addition, it is hoped that in 2023, the deployment of key health data summaries and guardians’ ability to act on behalf of a minor will be further facilitated.
Kela and THL provide support and guidance for health care and social welfare services organisations in the deployment of the Kanta Services at deployment support events and in training on registration, the operating model and operating methods.