The goal of switching to FHIR technology is to improve the quality of services and allow for quicker treatment decisions. After the update, healthcare data stored in Kanta will be available for use in patient care in an easier and more versatile manner. Data will be visible to the customers in an easier, more real-time, and more technically processable format.
The interface technology reform also helps patient information system providers to improve the availability of Kanta data in local systems. With the changes, social welfare and healthcare professionals will be able to access the data in the Kanta Services faster and more easily than before. Use of the FHIR technology will enable more efficient system development. Harmonising social welfare and healthcare data content and structures will also ensure data availability across sectors.
FHIR is already available in the Kanta Services for searching for prescription information and in patient data interfaces for wellbeing applications.
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Currently, the HL7 CDA R2 document standard (Health Level 7, Clinical Document Architecture Release 2) is commonly applied to patient documents in Finland.
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The more recent HL7 FHIR standard (Health Level 7, Fast Health Interoperability Resources) is being implemented in national services and in Kanta specifications.
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FHIR is a standard that supports the modularity of data content to promote the exchange and interoperability of healthcare data between systems.
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FHIR is specifically designed for environments that utilise modern network technologies and application interfaces.
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The aim of introducing the FHIR standard is to achieve a more customer-centric approach in the Kanta Services and to facilitate data handling in operations.
Improving data quality
The update aims to improve the quality of healthcare data in the Kanta Services. As a result of the change, nationally consistent data will be more structured and stored more real time. This will promote research use, statistics, and knowledge-based management.
Specifications of the FHIR structures will be generated in a more unambiguous and easier-to-interpret format, which means fewer deviations are expected between implementations. We are also trying to make it easier to revise data. However, it must be noted that the quality of data is not only ensured by uniform data structures and technology, but also through meticulous recording processes in accordance with guidelines.
There are no plans to make any substantial changes to record-keeping practices, and changing the technology will not affect operational requirements. Potential changes to record-keeping practices are due to other needs, such as the introduction of the European Health Data Space (EHDS), shortcomings in data content, or the introduction of the new diagnostic classification version ICD-11.
Upcoming development phases
In the initial phase, we will be updating the data searches made by local client and patient information systems in the Kanta Services. The searches can be carried out using FHIR technology regardless of the storage format. By making searches easier, we can achieve significant and visible benefits in the implementation of FHIR technology.
However, the full benefits will only be achieved once the storage of national data content in the Kanta Services is developed. The principle of data storage is that new healthcare data content will be implemented as modular components using FHIR technology, utilising international data models. Exceptions to this can be made as needed. For example, certificates and statements are commonly generated as CDA documents, and new form documents can also be implemented in the same way. FHIR components can be combined with CDA documents, but this requires a transition to new search and storage interfaces. Data currently stored as CDA documents will be migrated to the FHIR format on a discretionary case-by-case basis.
In the future, it may be possible to fully or partly migrate medical records currently stored as CDA documents into FHIR components, but the schedule is open for the time being. A flexible and secure transition from CDA storage to FHIR resource storage must be ensured for both primary and secondary use. This means that both current and future interfaces must be supported during the transition period. However, the current interfaces will be disabled sooner or later.
Estimated FHIR implementation deployments in the Kanta Services
- Description of change:
- Medication data is retrieved in the form of a medication list, not as separate prescription and dispensing documents .
- Estimated deployment schedule:
- In implementation, 2026-2027.
- Description of change:
- New data content.
- Estimated deployment schedule:
- In implementation, 2025.
- Description of change:
- New data content.
- Estimated deployment schedule:
- In implementation, 2026.
- Description of change:
- New data content.
- Estimated deployment schedule:
- Schedule to be announced.
- Description of change:
- New data content.
- Estimated deployment schedule:
- Schedule to be announced.
- Description of change:
- New data content.
- Estimated deployment schedule:
- Schedule to be announced.
- Description of change:
- New data content.
- Estimated deployment schedule:
- Schedule to be announced.
- Description of change:
- New data content.
- Estimated deployment schedule:
- Schedule to be announced.
- Description of change:
- New data contents: medication review and note entries plus non-prescription medication.
- Schedule to be announced.
- Description of change:
- New data content: in-patient prescription and medication administration entries.
- Schedule to be announced.
- Description of change:
- EHDS: retrieving current key health data nationally and from another EU country.
- In accordance with the EHDS regulation.
- Description of change:
- EHDS: technology change, retrieval of prescriptions from another EU country and delivery of dispensed medicine.
- In accordance with the EHDS regulation.
- Description of change:
- EHDS: retrieval from another EU country (and nationally).
- In accordance with the EHDS regulation.
- Description of change:
- EHDS: retrieval from another EU country (and nationally).
- In accordance with the EHDS regulation.
- Description of change:
- EHDS: new data structure nationally and retrieval/reception from another EU country
- In accordance with the EHDS regulation.