Development of the national data content

Development of the national data content

Kanta PHR is a FHIR-standard based, national trusted data repository for citizen’s own health and wellbeing data. The proposals for data content are evaluated from the perspectives of the FHIR standard and health and wellbeing, among other things. In addition, possible changes to the platform and interoperability with other national data content are assessed.

If you are unsure whether your data content is wellbeing data or patient data, you can submit a preliminary plan of your data content without any detailed information when you register with Kanta PHR. The preliminary plan can be used to assess which process should be used to proceed with the data content.

Step 1 - Proposing new data content

You can propose new data content or an extension to existing content by using the data content proposal form on a monthly basis according to predetermined dates. The form also serves as a checklist as the process progresses. See the form for more information (in Finnish).

After submitting the form, you will participate in a presentation and demo event held at an HL7 OTV support project meeting. You can choose what else you want to share about your app at the demo besides data content. If you have utilised health and social services professionals when planning your data content, it is a good idea to highlight this on the registration form and at the demo. The FHIR profile will be published after the demo event in Kanta Services’ Simplifier. In addition, the Zulip forum will share information about the proposed data content.

If your proposal includes a new profile, e.g. a CodeSystem, ValueSet or Questionnaire (or a change to an existing one), in order to speed up the process, you should consider producing the FHIR profiles yourself and submitting them as email attachments to Kela. Read the profiling instructions for more information on the kind of profiles that must be produced for Kanta PHR (PDF, in English). Profiles can be created, for example, by using the official FHIR tool Forge, which requires a paid licence for commercial use. For more information on Forge and the licences, please visit the Simplifier website. If it is not possible for you to create a profile yourself, you can provide the information needed for profiling using the form and Kela will create the profile instead.

Step 2 - Processing data content proposals in collaboration

After the demo event, Kela and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) will preliminarily process the presented data content, and then contact you to obtain any additional information and agree on further actions. If necessary, Kela and THL will provide you with support for developing and supplementing the data content. The lead time of the process varies depending on the complexity of the data content. It is possible to process a simple data content resource in accordance with the process in approximately 1.5–2 months.

The new data content will be presented and evaluated in THL’s Code Service Group following a separate process. Kela and THL will support you in preparing the data content for the meeting, after which you will present the data content to the group. The Code Service Group meets every two weeks, and you must register for the processing two weeks prior to the desired processing meeting. The purpose of the processing is to ensure nationally uniform data structures for utilisation by the client and patient information systems in social welfare and healthcare. Learn more about national data specifications and the Code Service Group.

Step 3 - Finalizing the data content

After the data content has been approved by the Code Service Group, you can proceed to finalising it. If necessary, Kela and THL will provide any required support. You will then present the finished data content once more at a support project meeting. After finalising the data content, you will need to fill out a form on the acceptance criteria for wellbeing applications and sign up for joint testing. After joint testing, the application should be taken to the certification process.

Steps to follow:

Guides: Proposing new data content.

Schedule for spring 2024

The submission date for data content forms is approximately one week before the next demo event. Please submit your data content according to the following dates:

  • Forms must be submitted no later than Friday 16 February 2024, and the demo will take place on Tuesday 27 February 2024
  • Forms must be submitted no later than Wednesday 24 April 2024, and the demo will take place on Tuesday 30 April 2024

Find out more

Last updated 2.2.2024