Liver examination

All people aged 21-81 living in the Helsinki metropolitan area and its surrounding areas who have previously participated in the Healthy Finland health examination are invited to the liver examination.

Liver diseases are a latent group of diseases that are influenced by many lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, nutrition and the accumulation of excess weight.Liver examination of the Healthy Finland – survey aims to examine liver function, the prevalence of fatty liver and increased liver connective tissue and the factors associated with them.

Logging in to the Healthy Finland survey's online service

You can log in using either strong authentication or the user ID and password that came with your invitation.Logging in is safe and secure.

Log in to the survey using strong authentication
In order to log in to confirm or change your appointment and complete the questionnaires, you must first verify your identity. This authentication is carried out using Suomi.fi e-Authentication. To do this, you will need one of the following:

• personal banking codes
• a mobile certificate for a mobile phone
• an electronic ID cards containing a citizen certificate.

Log in with your user ID and password
If you cannot verify your identity using your online banking codes or a mobile certificate, log in with your user ID and password. Your user ID and password can be found in the invitation you receive.

Phases of the survey

• The invitation will be sent by email or post around 4-10 weeks before the survey.
• The invitation will include information about the time scheduled and instructions on how to prepare for the health examination.
• The health examinations will take place at THL's Tilkanmäki office in Helsinki, Mannerheimintie 166.
• The survey will take place from September 2023 to June 2024.

• Confirm or change the reserved health examination time and complete the electronic consent form before arriving at the health examination by logging in to the online service for the Healthy Finland survey or by contacting us. Log in to the Healthy Finland survey's online service here.
• Do not eat or drink anything for at least 4 hours before the appointment. You do not need to fast for over 12 hours. Avoid fatty foods and strenuous physical activity on the day of the examination. You can take your regular medication with some water (maximum of 1 glass).
• Dress in clothing that allows you to uncover your right rib and elbow.
• Fill in the short questionnaire electronically before the health check. If you prefer to fill it in on paper, you will receive the form at the health examination.
• Bring some identification with you, for example, a driver’s licence or Kela card.
• Don't come to your health examination with a cold or if you are sick. If you get sick, you can change your appointment by calling the free number 0800 97730 (mon and thurs 9-11 am) or by emailing tervesuomi(at)thl.fi.
• If necessary, you will receive a certificate of the visit to submit to your employer.

How do I change the time of my health examination?

You can confirm or change your health examination time in the Healthy Finland survey’s online service. You can also contact the research staff by email at tervesuomi(at)thl.fi in order to confirm, change or cancel your health examination time or refuse to participate in the survey.

What does a health examination involve?

Reserve approximately 45 minutes for the health examination. The examination and associated laboratory tests are free of charge and voluntary. When you arrive for the examination, you do not have to register – your name will be called out in the waiting area.

The health examination involves measurement of

• a liver elastography ultrasound scan to check the function of the liver tissue, including an assessment of the amount of connective tissue
• measuring your weight
• venous blood sampling
• a short questionnaire that can be completed online before or after the health check
• feedback on the result of the elastography-ultrasound examination at the time of the visit

Participation is safe

The health examination is performed by trained health care professionals. We process data confidentially in keeping with our secrecy obligation and in compliance with the Data Protection Act and the Personal Data Act. A secure connection is used for the online questionnaire, preventing unauthorised persons from having access to the information. Individual respondents cannot be identified in the findings. More information on the processing of your personal data and your rights can be found in the survey’s data privacy notice.