Private-sector social welfare and health care providers may choose either the direct connection or joint connection model when joining Kanta. In addition to these, social welfare service providers can also join using the parallel connection model.
The joint connection model refers to an administrative model by which the company joins as a user of the Kanta services. The connection models are the same for the Prescription service, Patient Data Repository, and Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services.
Direct connection
Direct connection is the basic connection model for joining Kanta, used by
- public-sector social welfare and health care providers
- private-sector social welfare and health care providers
- pharmacists.
Joint connection
Private-sector social welfare and health care service providers who use another private service provider’s (the main joining party’s) information system may become a user of the Kanta Services using the joint connection model.
In the joint connection model, the main joining party submits an application to join Kanta. Other administrative tasks are divided among the joining parties. The use of the same information system reduces the costs of joining, and joining parties can appoint a joint data protection officer, joint archivist, and system administrator.
The main joining party is the data controller for documents created in its own operations, and every other joining party is the data controller for documents created in their respective operations.
The joint connection model can be used by company chains such as franchising chains or groups, by operating units, and by self-employed health care professionals.
For example, private social welfare services entrepreneurs who rent another company's premises and use the same information system as the company, can also benefit from the joint connection model.
The main joining party and those joining with it must conclude an agreement in accordance with the Kanta agreement template. The template outlines, among other things, the mutual responsibilities and obligations of the joining parties. It is not necessary to send the agreement to Kela.
The main joining party must monitor the other joining parties’ use of the Kanta Services in accordance with the self-monitoring requirements.
The main joining party checks, for example, that the other joining parties’
- permits or notifications to act as a social welfare services and health care provider are up to date
- information has been stored on Valvira’s Soteri register and is up-to-date on THL’s SOTE organisation register or the independent professionals’ IAH codes.
Parallel connection model for social welfare services
In certain situations, a private-sector social welfare service provider can join the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services using the parallel connection model. This is possible if a public-sector service organiser provides its service provider with the right to use its client information system.
The service organiser, such as a wellbeing services county, decides whether it makes its information system available to private-sector service providers.
In parallel connection, a private-sector service provider does not need to apply to join as a client of the Kanta Services, if all the client data it has stored is part of the client register of the wellbeing services county. However, if the system is also used to store information belonging to the private-sector service provider’s own client register, then the service provider must submit its own application.
The purpose of the parallel connection model aims to help small private-sector social welfare service providers who do not have their own certified client information systems to join Kanta. In practice, this is often an operator providing social welfare services for a wellbeing services county.
If a private-sector service provider has its own information system in place, and thus has the prerequisites to join Kanta using a direct or joint connection model for joining, Kela does not recommend the parallel connection model.
In the parallel connection model, the social welfare register access organiser and producer functions must have been deployed in the service organiser’s information system.
The service organiser and provider must agree on how to manage the service provider’s access rights and who within the organisations has the right to define and manage access rights.
The service organiser must instruct the private-sector service providers on the use of its system. In addition, the service organiser is responsible for ensuring that information on any disruptions and changes concerning the use of the Kanta Services is also passed on to the service providers.