Finnish Rheumatology Quality Register (national quality register)
PRIVACY NOTICE FOR DATA SUBJECTS
The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) processes personal data in order to perform its statutory duties. When processing personal data, the organisation complies with the valid data protection legislation and ensures an appropriate level of information security. This notice contains detailed information about how the organisation processes your personal data for statistics, research, assessment and co-creation with the aim of systematically improving the quality of the services and care within the scope of the quality register.
In addition, personal data are processed for the performance of expert tasks.
1 Controllers
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
P.O. Box 30, 00271 Helsinki, Finland
+358 29 524 6000
The above-mentioned organisations decide on and are responsible for the processing of personal data for the purpose mentioned in this notice, which means they are controllers of this data.
2 Contact person for issues related to processing of personal data
Name: Anniina Pylsy
Phone number: +358 29 524 7316
Email: [email protected]
The email address for THL’s data protection officer is: [email protected]
4 The purpose of processing personal data
We process your personal data for statistics, research, assessment and co-creation with the aim of systematically improving the quality of the services and care within the scope of the quality register. Personal data will also be processed for the performance of expert tasks.
5 Legal basis for the processing of personal data
The processing of personal data is always based on valid legislation. The legal basis of processing personal data for the purposes covered by this notice is:
Compliance with a legal obligation (General Data Protection Regulation, Article 6(1)(c)).
Other basis: The Act on the National Institute for Health and Welfare (668/2008) lays down provisions on the task of maintaining quality registers relevant for the field. The quality registers that the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare has an obligation to keep have been determined by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Decree (801/2022). To perform its statutory (specified in more detail in section 2, subsection 1, paragraphs 1-3, 4 and 4 d of the Act on THL) tasks, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare is entitled to receive free of charge and notwithstanding confidentiality provisions and other limitations on access to information, the necessary information concerning the population, including identification data, in accordance with section 5 of the Act.
Performance of a task carried out in public interest (Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
Performance of a task carried out in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller (Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation).
6 Processed personal data
1. Details of the service provider’s operating unit
2. Patient’s basic details
- personal identity code
- gender
- municipality of residence
- form of housing
- working status
- level of education
- length of education
3. Details of the rheumatic disease
- details of diagnosis
- start and end of treatment
- classification criteria for the rheumatic disease
4. Level of disease activity
- during the appointment the physician assessment disease activity, number of inflamed joints and measurement of spinal mobility
- results of laboratory tests
5. Patient's assessment of their functional capacity, general health and lifestyle
- indicators for general health and functional capacity
- smoking, alcohol use, physical activity
6. Methods of treatment
- medication
- procedures, such as joint injections
7. Other rheumatic disease associated factors to be taken into account
- other diseases
- vaccinations
- physiotherapy
- eye specialist’s assessment in patients with juvenile arthritis and uveitis
8. Supplementing information
- Benefits and special reimbursements
- Pension details
- Joint replacement surgery
- Information related to birth
- Time of death
7 Regular data sources
Separate information systems/monitoring programs used by wellbeing services counties
Population Information System of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency
Pension register of the Finnish Centre for Pensions
Care register for healthcare (HILMO)
Register of Primary Health Care Visits (AvoHILMO)
Medical Birth Register
SIRO register
Kanta Patient Data Repository
Kanta Prescription Centre
Kela's pension registers
Kela’s benefit registers
Finnish Cancer Registry
Näkövammarekisteri
Statistics Finland
8 Transfer or disclosure of personal data
No regular transfers of the data take place to parties outside THL.
9 Transfer of data to non-EU/EEA countries.
Personal data are not transferred to non-EU/EEA countries.
10 Profiling and automated decision-making
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) does not proceed to automated decision-making based on personal profiling.
11 Storage of personal data
The storage periods of personal data are determined in compliance with the Archives Act (831/1994) and the organisation’s information management plan. In compliance with the valid legislation, the organisation stores the personal data referred to in this notice until further notice.
Place of archives:
Storage period:
In compliance with the valid legislation, THL stores the personal data referred to in this notice until further notice.
12 What rights do you have?
Under data protection legislation, you have certain rights. By exercising these rights, you can ensure that the protection of your privacy, which is one of your fundamental rights, is realised. If you would like to exercise your rights, contact the organisation’s registry office.
In certain cases and situations, your rights may be restricted, for example due to one of the organisation’s statutory obligations or if the processing takes place for scientific research or for statistical or archiving purposes. If your rights are restricted, the organisation will provide for appropriate and necessary safeguards required under the data protection legislation.
12.1 Right to withdraw consent
If we are processing your personal data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw this consent.
Please note that the processing of data for purposes other than scientific research is in principle based on legislation rather than your consent.
12.2 Right to access data concerning you
You have the right to know if the organisation is processing personal data concerning you. You also have the right to know which personal data concerning you are processed and how. Additionally, you have the right to receive a copy of the personal data concerning you, provided that giving you this copy will not have adverse effects on the rights and freedoms of others and that the organisation does not have legal grounds for refusing to disclose the data.
12.3 Right to rectification of data
As a point of departure, you have a right to have inaccurate or incorrect data rectified.
12.4 Right to erasure of your data
You may have the right to have your data deleted from the organisation’s register. If the processing of your data is based on the performance of the organisation’s statutory tasks or there is some other legal obligation associated with preserving it, your right to have the data deleted probably is restricted.
12.5 Right to restrict processing
You may have a right to restrict the processing of your personal data in cases laid down in the law.
The right to restrict processing may exist, for instance, if you believe that the personal data concerning you are inaccurate, they are being processed unlawfully, or you have opposed the processing of your data. In this case, we may only process your personal data by your consent, where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, or where it is in general interest or essential to protect another person’s rights.
12.6 Right to oppose the processing of personal data
You may have the right to oppose the processing of your personal data in cases laid down in the law.
The right to oppose may be relevant when, for example, the processing includes automated decision-making based on the profiling or if the information is used for the purpose of direct marketing.
12.7 Right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority
You have the right to request the Data Protection Ombudsman to assess the lawfulness of the organisation’s practices.
Contact information:
Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman
Visiting address: P.O. Box 4, 00530 Helsinki
Mailing address: P.O. Box 800, 00531 Helsinki, Finland
Switchboard: +358 29 56 66700
Facsimile: +358 29 56 66735
Email: [email protected]
