Findata is the Finnish data permit authority for the social and health care data, established in 2019. Our activities are based on the Finnish Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data.
We grant permits for the secondary use of social and health care data and improve data protection for individuals. After granting the permit we compile, combine and pre-process it and offer tools for analysing.
Shortcuts
Get to know Findata
Organisation
Findata operates in conjunction with the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) but separately from the Institute’s other activities. It is under the performance guidance of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and has a Ministry-appointed director and steering group.
The Findata management group oversees the operations of the data permit authority. This group includes Findata’s Director, the Head of Data Services, the Head of ICT, the Development Manager, the Legal Advisor, and the Head of Communications.
Tasks and objectives
Our task is to provide guidance, grant permits for the secondary use of social and health data and to ensure that data subject to a permit is combined and disclosed in an secure manner.
We grant permits for the secondary use of social and health data when the application applies to
- data maintained by several public social and health sector controllers
- data maintained by a single public controller, that has transferred the right to issue permits to Findata
- the register data of one or numerous private social and health service provider,
- Findata’s ready-made datasets, or
- data saved in the Kanta Services
We maintain secure information systems as defined in the Secondary Use Act, including secure processing environment Kapseli and transfer service Tunneli. We are responsible for compiling and pre-processing the data resources in accordance with the granted permits, including tasks such as pseudonymisation. In addition, we produce and deliver anonymous, statistical data requested via a data request.
Our activities are based on the Finnish Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data.
Read more:
- Secondary use of health and social data (stm.fi).
- Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data (PDF file, 5.4 mb).
Our goals:
- Improve data security and the protection of individuals’ privacy.
- Accelerate and streamline the use of health and social data resources.
- Eliminate overlapping work related to the permit process.
- Develop descriptions of health and social data resources in cooperation with data controllers.
The lawful purposes for the secondary use of health and social data depend on the type of data being used.
Individual-level material
- education
- scientific research
- statistics
- planning and reporting duties of an authority
In addition, under the Secondary Use Act, controllers can use their own data for knowledge management without permission from Findata.
Statistical data
- scientific research
- statistics
- planning and reporting duty of an authority
- steering and supervision of social and health care by authorities
- education
- development and innovation activities
- knowledge management (comparative data)
View controllers under the Secondary Use Act
- Digital and Population Data Services Agency
- Individual’s basic details, family relations, place of domicile and building details
- Findata
- Ready-made datasets: FinRegistry and COVID-19
- Finnish Centre for Pensions
- Work and earnings data, benefits and the bases for them
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
- Does not apply to data collected for statistical purposes
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
- Occupational illnesses, exposure tests and patient registers
- Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea
- Kanta services
- National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health Valvira
- Public and private service providers of social welfare and health care
- Regional state administrative agencies
- Matters relating to social welfare and health care
- Social Insurance Institution of Finland
- Benefits and prescriptions
- Statistics Finland
- To the extent that access is required to data covered by the act on the investigation of the causes of death
See also: Frequently asked questions about Findata
Guidance and supervision
The steering group for the secondary use of social and health data guides and develops Findata’s operations.
The members of the steering group include representatives appointed from
- the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health,
- the Digital and Population Data Services Agency,
- the Finnish Centre for Pensions, the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea,
- the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela),
- the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare,
- Statistics Finland,
- the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health,
- the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health Valvira, and
- representatives of social welfare and health care service providers.
The steering group has set up the following subcommittees:
- Secondary use of social and health data ecosystem group
- Cooperation group for controllers and customers of secondary use of social and health data
- Cooperation group for customers of secondary use of social and health data
In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has set up a working group to draw up the principles for anonymisation, information security and data production in the use of social and health data.
Findata’s operations are supervised by the Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Data Protection Ombudsman, among others. The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health Valvira monitors data secure user environments. In addition, Findata must give an annual report to the Data Protection Ombudsman regarding the processing of health and social data and the related log data.
Read more (in Finnish):
- Sosiaali- ja terveystietojen toissijaisen käytön ohjausryhmä ja sen alatyöryhmät (stm.fi)
- Sosiaali- ja terveystietojen toissijaisen käytön tietosuojan asiantuntijaryhmä (stm.fi)
- Reports and studies on the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data, its interpretation and implementation