This is a document publicity description pursuant to Section 28 of the Act on Information Management in Public Administration (906/2019). Its purpose is to facilitate the submission of information requests to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). THL is an information management unit as referred to in the Act.
What is a document publicity description?
The purpose of a document publicity description is to:
implement the principle of openness
provide an overview of how the case register and information management of services at THL are structured
The document publicity description explains:
what document-based information THL holds
what kinds of data entities are formed from that information
which information systems are used
what rights you have in relation to the documents
how you can submit an information request to THL
where you can obtain further information or whom you can contact, if necessary
What is a document and what is an authority document?
The concept of a document is defined in the Archives Act and in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities. A document is independent of form and medium.
This means that a document may be:
a written presentation
a visual presentation
an electronic presentation
a recording that can be listened to or interpreted using technical means
In practice, a document may be anything between a traditional paper document and an electronic presentation.
However, not every document is an authority document. According to the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, authority documents are documents held by an authority.
THL’s case register
THL’s Registry Office maintains a case register of matters handled by THL, the related documents, and their processing stages. Matters and documents registered by THL are stored in digital format in the case management system.
The system serves as a case register through which matters taken up for processing and matters resolved can be monitored. The case management system also functions as a tool for retrieving information on matters and documents and as a means of implementing the principle of openness of documents.
THL may also register administrative documents in other specific registers, such as personnel and financial administration systems.
THL’s data reserves and datasets
Data reserves refer to extensive sets of data that are closely connected physically or logically. THL holds datasets and documents related, among other things, to the following subject areas and duties:
general administration
human resources administration
financial administration
administrative tasks
information management and influence activities
expert tasks
social and health care statistics and registers
research and development
laboratory activities
vaccination activities
THL Biobank
the social and health data permit authority Findata
See more detailed information on THL’s task categories.
The data contained in data reserves and datasets are processed at THL in several different information systems. THL’s overall information system environment is decentralized. The systems have multiple dependencies on other systems and support systems.
Typical information systems at THL include, for example:
expert systems
laboratory systems
research information systems
data exchange systems
systems for further processing of data
Information is retrieved from the case register and information systems using, for example, the following search criteria:
case number
person’s name
personal identity code
personnel identifier
Right of access to authority documents
Under the principle of openness, authority documents are public unless otherwise provided by the Act on the Openness of Government Activities or other legislation. Anyone may request access to a public authority document, but there is no right of access to all information. A request does not need to be justified. Confidentiality must always be based on law.
THL’s administrative documents are, as a rule, public unless otherwise specifically provided by law.
You have the right to access THL’s documents if:
the information request concerns a document held by THL, or
the requested document is public
You may also have the right to access confidential documents held by THL.
When a requested document is confidential, your right of access is assessed on a case-by-case basis. You also have the right to access confidential information if it concerns your own matter or if you are otherwise a party to the matter. Certain statutory exceptions may nevertheless prevent access to such confidential documents, for example on grounds related to the best interests of a child.
How to submit a document-related information request to THL
An information request is a specific request submitted to THL to obtain public or confidential information. You may submit a document-related information request to THL in one of the following ways:
by sending the request by post or email to THL’s Registry Office
by telephone: +358 29 524 6110
THL’s Registry Office responds to inquiries and information requests concerning registered documents. The Registry Office also maintains the case register of matters handled by THL, related documents, and processing stages.
How is your information request processed at THL?
Under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), THL must respond to your information request without delay, no later than within two weeks of the request. If responding to the request requires an unusually large amount of work, the response time may be up to one month. The same time limits apply to both public and confidential documents.
If access to the requested document cannot be granted, you have the right to receive a written decision. You may use this decision to appeal, if you so wish.
Further information
Topics of programmes, studies, projects and publications
Services and transactions
Dataset descriptions (Dataset Catalogue) (link to an external site, opens in a new tab)
THL provides, for example, statistical data reports for free use via a technical interface.
Open data
Statistics and data
THL’s contact information