How information moves through Kanta
Patient data is stored in Kanta as recorded by a health care professional in the patient information system. Every citizen can view their own data in MyKanta.
The health care professionals treating us can see the data stored in Kanta from their own information system. This system benefits all parties involved in your care. We asked a health centre practitioner how they utilise Kanta's data in patient work and how they record data.
Reetta Laiho works at the Kaarina health centre and regularly uses data stored in Kanta. She is a specialist in general practice, and over the years has worked at the health centre's GP surgery, urgent care department, inpatient ward and maternity clinic.
When a health care and social welfare professional encounters a patient, they can search for data in Kanta. In Kanta, the professional can see the entries stored in the patient information systems at other places of treatment. And vice versa; professionals such as Laiho enter the patient's information into the patient information system, from where it is stored in Kanta. The database shows data recorded by both public and private health care providers all over Finland.
Entries made in patient information systems are stored in Kanta.
It is essential to promptly record data in a patient information system
During an appointment with a patient, Laiho takes notes by hand and as soon as the patient leaves, she records the information in the patient information system.
"The situation is different in the urgent care department, and information is recorded in stages, because the patient may have a blood test taken during treatment, for example," Laiho says.
Laiho says that it would be ideal if she had time to look up patient information before the patient arrives, but time constraints do not always allow her to do so.
According to Laiho, entries should be kept as brief concise as possible.
"If there are lines and lines of irrelevant data in Kanta, it may be difficult for the next doctor to find the essential information.”
After the visit, the patient can check MyKanta to see what was recorded about their visit. If the doctor has issued a prescription or a referral for examinations, these will also appear in My Kanta.
If you notice any errors or omissions in your health data displayed in MyKanta, please directly contact the health care provider responsible for the entry. For example, if you visit a health centre, corrections and additions to MyKanta entries related to that visit will also be made there. If, on the other hand, you visit a private clinic, please contact them directly about incorrect entries.
Health care service providers are responsible for recording and correcting data. For this reason, incorrect information displayed in MyKanta cannot be updated or corrected by Kanta Services.