Hoitotarkoituksiin

Hoitotarkoituksiin is a Finnish term that refers to the processing of personal data for the provision of care or treatment. It describes the purpose behind handling information by health and social care professionals as part of delivering medical care, nursing, rehabilitation, or welfare services. In practice, hoitotarkoituksiin covers electronic patient records, care plans, medication management, diagnostics, and communication within care teams, as well as information shared between providers to ensure continuity of care. The term is used in legislation and guidelines to distinguish care-related processing from other purposes such as research, marketing, or non-medical administration.

Legal context is rooted in EU data protection rules and Finnish law. Processing health-related data for care purposes is generally allowed when it is necessary for the provision of health or social care and carried out by authorized professionals under confidentiality obligations, with appropriate safeguards. The basis for processing can be a contract, a legal obligation, or the patient’s consent, depending on the situation. Special category data (health data) have stricter requirements, but processing for care purposes is permitted when necessary for health or social care and safeguarded by suitable measures, or when consent is given for other purposes.

Practical considerations include data minimization, access controls, secure transmission and storage, and maintaining audit trails. Data may be shared between providers to support continuity of care, subject to the lawful basis and any applicable consent. Retention follows statutory requirements and organizational policies.