Terveystiedot

Terveystiedot is a Finnish term that broadly denotes information about an individual's health, including medical history, diagnoses, medications, laboratory results, imaging, allergies, immunizations, lifestyle factors and biometric measurements. It also covers data produced outside clinical settings, such as information from wearable devices, self-reports and genetic testing.

Terveystietojen sources and formats vary widely: paper and electronic medical records held by healthcare providers, laboratory and imaging archives, national e-health services, personal health applications and public health registries. In Finland, national infrastructures like the Kanta services enable secure storage and exchange of many clinical records and prescriptions.

Uses of terveystiedot include clinical care and care coordination, health promotion, epidemiological surveillance, health services planning, research and secondary uses such as quality assurance. Effective use depends on data quality, standardization and interoperability; common standards used internationally include ICD, SNOMED CT, HL7 and FHIR.

Legal, ethical and practical considerations are central to handling terveystiedot. Privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, data security and patients’ rights to access and correct their records are protected under national and EU regulations such as the GDPR. Challenges include ensuring data accuracy, preventing unauthorized access or breaches, addressing biases in collected data and balancing individual rights with public health needs. Personal data governance, transparent policies and technical safeguards such as access controls, encryption and pseudonymization are important for responsible management.