Discontinuation of a client or patient information system

A client or patient information system may be discontinued when systems are integrated, for example. The client and patient data in the system to be discontinued can be archived in Kanta as legacy data.

Changes to names in the Kanta Services

The names of the following Kanta Services will be changed in May 2024:

These changes will be updated to kanta.fi in stages.

Patient Data Repository ⇒ Patient Data Repository (no change in English)
Client Data Archive for Social Welfare Services ⇒ Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services
The Archive of Imaging Data ⇒ Imaging Data Repository

The data controller is responsible for the retention of old client and patient data. When these are stored in Kanta as legacy data, responsibility for document storage is transferred to Kela. The data controller’s other duties remain unchanged. Once the old documents have been archived, they can be deleted from the source system.

Legacy client data and legacy patient data are archived in Kanta as follows:

The ‘Archiving of old patient data’ service is for archiving:
- health care patient data, oral health care data, occupational health care data
- patient data recorded in connection with social services provision.
The Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services (formerly the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services) is for archiving:
- social welfare client data (there is no separate legacy data service).

The following cannot be archived in Kanta

administrative data content
legacy images.

What to do when a system is discontinued

When a system is discontinued, the data it contains will be archived in Kanta in stages. Support materials for archiving are available:

Assess the current situation

The system may contain patient data, social welfare client data, and administrative data. Review the data in the system and describe the target state for archiving. This target state may be described in an information management plan (known in Finnish as a ‘TOS’) or an archive creation plan (or ‘AMS’). Consider these points in the plan:

What data need to be archived?
Where are the data being stored (e.g. administrative data)?
Utilising the data after archiving
Processing the data after the end of the retention period
- For further information about retention periods and screening decisions, please see the National Archive website (kansallisarkisto.fi, in Finnish and in Swedish only) and Client Data Act (finlex.fi, in Finnish and in Swedish only).

Archiving principles for social welfare documents are described in chapter 11.5 of the Kanta Services Manual (yhteistyotilat.fi, in Finnish only).

For policies regarding legacy data and for resolving content issues, please contact THL: sotetiedonhallinta@thl.fi.

Planning

Select a system provider for the legacy data archiving project. If necessary, put the project out to tender.
- When entering into an agreement, make sure to ensure access to legacy data in care or treatment situations and when responding to data requests from clients.
Ensure that sufficient competence and understanding of the system to be archived is available in the archiving project. Allocate sufficient resources to the project.
Prepare a schedule.
Find out about the available options for archiving administrative data.

Archiving

Register for the ‘Archiving of old patient data’ service or the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services (formerly the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services) if this has not already been done. Further information on registering for the services:
- Archiving of old patient data (pdf, in Finnish only)
- Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services
Agree with the system provider on data collection and dataset formation. The system provider is to collect the legacy data from the source system and create a dataset as per the specifications given.
If the ultimate goal is to discontinue the system, ensure, if necessary, that administrative data are also archived.

Storing legacy client data in the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services (in Finnish only)

Accessing the data after archiving

A carefully compiled information management plan (TOS) or archive creation plan (AMS) helps to access data later.

Legacy data can be accessed in treatment and service situations through an applicable IT system or separate viewer provided by the system provider. The Kanta Services do not provide a viewer for accessing legacy data.

Ensure that all personnel have sufficient competence in accessing legacy data. If necessary, consult the system provider for further information and training.

As the data controller, you must be able to correct or invalidate the data for which you are responsible and to respond to data requests. The Archivist user interface only allows you to view and invalidate documents. A separate system is required for making corrections to documents; please contact your system provider for this.

After a successful archiving project, you can, if you wish, discontinue the previously used information systems and databases.