Updated 22.04.2021

Services for customers

Findata’s customers are those that need data resources.

We offer to our customers

  • a permit and data service
  • a remote access environment for data secure processing.

We issue permits for obtaining data in cases involving

  • secondary use of health and social data
    and
  • combining data from registers of multiple controllers or obtaining data from private social welfare and health care service providers.

What can you request from Findata?

When contacting Findata, you can either make a data request or apply for a data permit.

  • If you are seeking statistical data, make a data request.
  • If you are seeking personal data, apply for a data permit.

PLEASE NOTE: Data requests are currently possible only with a Finnish personal identity code through Suomi.fi identification. We are mapping alternative secure identification applications for our international clients.

The uses for the data permitted by law are:

  • scientific research
  • statistics
  • development and innovation operations
  • steering and supervision by authorities
  • authorities’ planning and reporting duties
  • teaching
  • knowledge-based management

Statistical data

You can make data requests when you need statistical data for secondary use.

PLEASE NOTE: Only statistical data will be provided for development and innovation operations. All requests for data resources intended for this purpose are made by submitting data requests.

We issue permits for data and innovation activities that are aimed at

  • promoting national health or social security, or
  • developing social welfare and health care services or service systems, or
  • protecting the health and well-being of individuals or securing for them the related rights and freedoms.

Personal data

From 1 April 2020, you can apply for a data permit to access pseudonymised personal data

  • for scientific research and statistics
  • for preparing teaching material for the training of personnel dealing with social welfare and health care customer data and those studying to be social welfare and health care professionals
  • for authorities’ planning and reporting duties.

Processing of data requests and data permit applications

Make the data request or data permit application in the Findata application system. You will find instructions and a link to data request application on this page: Data requests.

We will process the data requests as quickly as possible.

We will make decisions on data permit applications no later than three months from the date when we have received all the information required for making the decision. Where needed, we may request additional information for the application or from the controllers.

If we encounter a situation where we are processing data from a number of different controllers on an exceptionally broad scale, we may extend the processing time for the application by a maximum of three months. We will notify you of the extension, the reasons for it, and the new deadline for our decision.

Data service

We handle on your behalf

  • gathering the register data from the controllers
  • combining, pseudonymising and anonymising the data or producing statistical data
  • converting and combining the permit holder’s own data.

We will disclose the data for your use within 60 working days from when the decision was given.

We may extend the deadline for disclosing the data if there is a strong reason for doing so. In such cases, we will notify you of the extension, reasons, and the new deadline by which the data will be disclosed.

We disclose statistical data to be used freely by you.

We charge for the data service based on an hourly rate. The basis for the determination of this rate is set by the payment decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Remote access environment

We offer a data secure environment for the processing of pseudonymised personal data. In this environment you can use the primary statistical software needed for analysing the data.

You will receive user IDs for the remote access environment once

  • we have approved your permit application
  • we have gathered the data from the controllers
  • you have filled in the remote access environment order form and
  • we have made an agreement with you on the use of the remote access environment.

The details of the remote access environment presented below will be selected on the order form (available soon).

All virtual machines include SPPS, Stata, SAS and R softwares as a standard. The selection will be expanded. The service charge is based on the selected virtual machine and potential supplementary items you need. Additional computing resources is available per additional order and additional charges.

It is possible to install also other softwares or programs to the remote access environment, either open access ones or ones that require a license. This will be charged on an hourly basis. If the requested software or program needs a license, the applicant must have this. Delivery of the softwares or programs to Findata will be conducted based on separate instructions.

The basis for the determination of the service charge will be set by the payment decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

In addition, we may transfer the data to a user environment other than the Findata data secure user environment. This can only be done when absolutely necessary, however, and this other user environment must comply with the Findata data security requirements.

See also: Pricing