In Finland there are unique social welfare and health care sector register data resources which have already been successfully utilised in research and statistics for decades. Findata improves data security for the secondary use of these resources and makes it possible to utilise them more effectively.
The secondary use of reliable data that has been safely collected and stored is beneficial to everyone. In this way, better services and more effective treatments can be offered, information-based decisions can be made, and societal problems can be solved.
Health and social data is of a very sensitive nature. The collection, storage and use of such data is governed by strict regulations on data security and data processing. The secondary use of such data requires a permit.
For this reason, utilising these resources has been time-consuming. For example, if a researcher has wanted data resources from several different registers, permit applications had to be made to many different controllers. It has sometimes taken years to obtain the data.
How will Findata change this situation?
Findata will be a one-stop shop for the secondary use of health and social data. It will make the secondary use of the data resources more secure, improve data protection for individuals, and facilitate permit applications and data retrieval.
Findata will centralise the issuing of permits in situations where there is a need to combine data for secondary use from several different controllers. In addition, we combine data resources on behalf of the customer and deliver them to a data secure remote access environment from where they can be accessed.
In this way, those needing the data obtain it more quickly and can process it more securely.
Is the utilisation of health and social data secure?
Findata always discloses data in such a way that the data protection of the individuals is maximised in each particular use case. In addition, only the required aspects of the data are disclosed.
The anonymity of the statistical data resources is ensured, and individual-level pseudonymised data is not directly disclosed but instead is stored by Findata for a set period of time.
The Information Systems record log data, which means the processing and event history of the data. This shows, for example, who has processed the data, how, and when.
At the moment, Findata is starting up its operations and the webpages are being updated as the services develop.
