Sharing of data

Sharing of data

With the help of Kanta, the data generated in social and health care as well as in pharmacies is available to various service providers. When information flows smoothly, the quality of care or the service also improves. The client must be informed about how the data stored about them will be used.

This page provides information about the provision of Kanta information. On the pages below, you can read more about data sharing and how clients and patients can influence how their data is shared (consent and denial of consent).

Do you know how consent to data sharing will change?

In the updated Kanta online school, you can update your knowledge of how data are shared in health care and social welfare services. You will also receive instructions on how to provide information about the Kanta Services. You can explore the different sections of the online school at your own pace.

Go to the Kanta online school (verkkokoulut.kanta.fi, in Finnish).

What is information about Kanta Services?

Information about Kanta Services means providing the client with information on Kanta Services and on how their data is being processed in healthcare and social welfare services and how they can manage the sharing. This information is provided because the client has the right to know about the use of their client and patient data and about any changes in the way their data is processed.

Receiving information about Kanta Services is not the same as to give consent to data sharing.

What does the provision of information about Kanta Services affect?

Once the client has received the information about Kanta Services, they can

  • give their consent to the sharing of their data stored therein with other wellbeing services counties and between public and private health care providers in connection with your treatment
  • update their previously given consent so that your data can be disclosed both via Kanta Services and otherwise Read more about consent to sharing patient data.
  • limit the use of their data by setting up denials of consent to data sharing.

Once the client has received version 1.1 or 2.0 of the information about Kanta Services, their patient data will be available to public healthcare service providers anywhere in the Uusimaa region in connection with providing care. Read more about data sharing within Uusimaa.

A client’s data can be entered in Kanta Services even if they have not received the latest information about Kanta Services. A client can give consent to data sharing or set a denial of consent to data sharing in MyKanta or in connection with a visit to healthcare services.

The client can acknowledge receipt of the information about Kanta Services in MyKanta

If the client has not already confirmed the receipt of the latest information about Kanta Service, it will automatically open once they have logged in to MyKanta. The new information is available in MyKanta as of 30 November 2023. In MyKanta, you can also acknowledge the receipt of information about Kanta Services on behalf of another person.

The service provider must inform the client if the notification has not been acknowledged in MyKanta

If the client has not received the latest version of information about Kanta Services in MyKanta, it must be given to the client when they use health care. The information can be provided in health care as of 2 January 2024.

The patient information system identifies and guides the user if the client needs to be informed. Once the client has received information about Kanta Services, an entry must be made in the information system so that the information is stored in Kanta.

In most healthcare organisations, it is already possible to record the receipt of the information in the patient information system. If saving is not currently possible, find out more about what to do.

In social welfare services, the obligation to provide information begins when the service provider has joined Kanta Services and the sharing of data within the sector become possible.

How do I inform the client of the information provided about Kanta Services?

A social welfare or healthcare professional can provide the patient or client with the information about Kanta Services

In this video, we will explain how social welfare and healthcare professionals can provide clients with Kanta information:

Find out more about the different versions of the information about Kanta Services and the differences between them

The table shows the versions of the information about Kanta Services that the client may have received via MyKanta.

The latest version of the information about Kanta Services contains information about

  • what Kanta Services are
  • how data generated in healthcare, social welfare and pharmacies can be shared via Kanta Services
    • the consent to data sharing enabling the sharing of your data stored in Kanta and your other data
  • how the patient can influence how their data are shared
  • on the temporary right of access to information in the region of Uusimaa
Table: Versions of information about Kanta Services
Version Release date Status Changes from previous version
Information about Kanta Services 2.0 30/11/2023 Valid from 30/11/2023 Possibility to utilise consent to data sharing when sharing data through channels other than Kanta Services.
Information about Kanta Services 1.1 (pdf) 22/11/2022 Expires 29/11/2023 Start of the operation of the wellbeing services counties and temporary right of access to information in the region of Uusimaa.
Information about Kanta Services 1.0 (pdf)  1/11/2021 Valid until 21/11/2022 First version of the information about Kanta Services.

Legislation governing data sharing

The Act on the Processing of Client Data in Healthcare and Social Welfare (703/2023) and the Act on Electronic Prescriptions govern the sharing of client and patient data and determine how clients and patients can influence how their data is shared, among other things.

The Acts also define operating methods and models for social welfare, healthcare, and pharmacies.

Read more

Last updated 8.1.2024