TEHDAS2 – Second joint action Towards the European Health Data Space

The TEHDAS2 project will develop concrete guidelines and technical definitions to make it easier to use health data in different countries. It will support the harmonised implementation of the EHDS legislation.

The results of the project will guide health data authorities, data holders and users in fulfilling their future obligations under the regulation. The project will establish policies and outline harmonised means of describing data in patient registers. These will support the availability of health data and streamline access to it. The project will also create technical specifications for secure data processing environments and develop co-operation models and guidelines for data access and licensing fees.

The TEHDAS2 joint action is funded by the European Union’s EU4Health Health Programme. Sitra participates in the project as the designated partner of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and acts as coordinator of the joint action project at the request of the participating countries and the European Commission.

As coordinator, we will lead the overall work and be responsible for the successful and efficient implementation of the project. We are also responsible for the European-wide communication of the project, including the website tehdas.eu. We will also contribute to the preparation of the project reports in collboartion with the project partners.

The TEHDAS2 project will be implemented as part of Sitra’s international activities. The project is a follow-up to the 25-country TEHDAS project led by Sitra in 2021–2023, whose recommendations were used by the European Commission in its proposal for a regulation on the European Health Data Space, adopted in May 2022.

The TEHDAS2 Joint Action project started on 1 May 2024 and will end on 31 December 2026.

Sitra was selected by the EU Member States and the Commission to coordinate the follow-up to the successful TEHDAS project.

More information on the progress of the project can be found on its website.

The European Union aims to promote the secure use of health data across borders. Data is needed to prevent and treat diseases more effectively in the future.

The European Health Data Space (EHDS) aims to enhance the secondary use of health data secondary use of health data to strengthen research, innovation and policymaking across Europe.

European researchers, businesses and policy makers face many barriers to the cross-border use of health data. The new legislation should clarify and harmonise member states’ practices.

Clear legislation and data protection requirements will ensure the secure use of health data. New technologies and common standards will help to change healthcare in Europe for the better, to the benefit of all.

The EHDS is being prepared by 29 countries. In Finland, Sitra, the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Centre for Technology Research (VTT), the Centre for Science and Technology (CSC), the Social and Health Information Licensing Authority (Findata) and HUS are involved as associated organisations.

The national expert group (in Finnish) already assembled by Sitra during the TEHDAS project will also be consulted in the TEHDAS2 project.