WELL-BEING DATA

The flexible use of well-being data provides high-quality research, treatment and care. We developed in wide cooperation a way to collect and distribute well-being data from a one-stop shop. Findata.fi starts operating at the beginning of 2020.

LATEST

Illustration: part of DNA under the magnifying glass.
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Health data soon available for innovations – how were the grounds of Findata built?

publications

A Finnish Model For The Secure And Effective Use Of Data

Saara Malkamäki and Hannu Hämäläinen
Opinion

New legislation will speed up the use of Finnish health data

events

The HIMSS and Health 2.0 European Conference

Helsinki, Tuesday – Thursday, Jun 11 – Jun 13
watch live
Results of the work

One-stop shop for well-being data – Isaacus laid the foundations for the future

news

A new act will increase the transparency and impact of using social welfare and healthcare data

news

Isaacus has paved the way for the seamless use of Finnish well-being data

publications

International review, Secondary use of health and social care data and applicable legislation

projects

Isaacus pre-production projects

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

The project was carried out between 2015 and 2018.

Sitra prepared a new, one-stop-shop that will collect and co-ordinate well-being data. The working title of this operator is Isaacus – the Digital Health HUB.

In Finland, the well-being data collected on an individual, such as patient records and lifestyle information, or data gathered by a health bracelet is scattered in different systems and is difficult to use for anything. Different registers often contain overlapping data. At the moment, the data is only used to solve an acute problem or ailment.

These data reserves, which are unique even by international standards, should be harnessed for wider use. This way it would be possible to provide a better quality of social welfare services and healthcare and generate important opportunities for business, research and new growth. In addition, an attractive research and development environment for the health and well-being industry could spring up in Finland.

The right of individuals to own and control the data concerning them should be taken into account when the data is used. The exchange of information between different operators should be promoted and their access to systematically organised data enhanced when the parties involved need it and have the right to access it.

What was achieved?

Finland has succeeded in creating a new ecosystem built around the use of health data through a national project culminating in groundbreaking new legislation. New service Findata.fi will open at the beginning of 2020.

Sitra’s Isaacus project played an essential role in building an innovation ecosystem. Sitra’s publication A Finnish model for the secure and effective use of data highlights some key lessons from the project.

At the same time with Sitra’s project the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health prepared legislation related to secondary use of social welfare and healthcare data. According to the Act, the National Institute for Health and Welfare will be the body authorising the permits.

Sitra’s projects aimed at preparing an authority that provides well-being data and open data from different information sources and registers on a one-stop-shop basis. The permit and guidance services for the users of this data were made available in one place. When data is processed, special attention must be paid to privacy protection, data security and the right of individuals to decide who the information concerning them is used by and for what.

Our work began in September 2015 and was finished the end of 2018. We gathered leading experts from the public, private and third sectors in our workshops to outline the architecture and operation of the future operator.

Parts of the future digital health hub and permit services were built in the pre-production projects.

In addition to the projects and workshops, we are preparing a plan of action for the future operator to enable the launch of its operations in 2019.

The closing event of Sitra’s project took place on 1 November 2018.

Who participated?

We co-operated extensively with the public and private sector and various organisations. These included the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Statistics Finland, CSC – IT Center for Science, the National Archives of Finland, the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS), the Hospital District of Southwest Finland and the City of Kuopio. Some of our partners implemented concrete pre-production projects.

CONTACT US

people
Jaana Sinipuro
people
Antti Kivelä
people
Kimmo Haahkola
people
Marja Illi
Senior Lead, Fair data economy
people
Markus Kalliola
Project Director, Health data 2030
Juhani Luoma-Kyyny
people
Juhani Luoma-Kyyny
people
Saara Malkamäki
Health through data
people
Heli Parikka
people
Anna Pulli
Assistant, Fair data economy
people
Kirsi Suomalainen
Specialist, Communications and Public Affairs

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Blogs, news, events.

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