Welfare (THL). The permits for using the data are granted by Findata.
Kanta was originally developed for primary use of data, i.e. for patient care. When data is utilised, for example, for purposes of research or knowledge management, it is called secondary use of data.
Data entered in the social welfare and healthcare service and in pharmacies is recorded in the Kanta Services, after which it can be processed for secondary use with the Kanta data platform.
Currently, the data on prescriptions and their dispensing, as well as some of the patient data that is available for utilisation, are found in the Kanta data platform (diagnoses, laboratory data, vaccination data, procedures, physiological measurements, medical statements). Next in line to be made available in the data platform are data concerning emergency care and oral healthcare as well as risk information. In the future, the data content will extend to include all patient data and social welfare data. Data related to the social welfare services will first be published in the Materials catalogue in 2024, once more data has been collected as a result of the obligation of the social welfare services to join the Kanta Services by 1 September 2024.
In addition to research use and knowledge management, the data in the Kanta data platform that is processed into an easy-to-use format can also be utilised, for example, in
- statistics
- development and innovation activities
- teaching.
Findata provides permits for using data – data protection is of paramount importance
Applications for secondary use of health and social data are addressed to Findata, the health and social data permit authority. Findata’s operations are supervised by, e.g. the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman and Valvira. The use of the materials is governed by the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data.
The processing of health and social data is subject to extremely stringent data protection requirements. The processing of health data is closely regulated, and personal data cannot be linked to a particular individual.