Deputy-Ombudsman investigates delaying the display of patient information in MyKanta

Deputy-Ombudsman Susanna Lindroos-Hovinheimo has taken the initiative to investigate the delay in the display of patient information in MyKanta.

Delaying practices have come to light in the Ombudsman's oversight of legality. For example, the results of an imaging study may be delayed in MyKanta as the results may reveal a serious illness as an incidental finding, which the patient should be informed about at the doctor's appointment.

There are no specific regulations governing delays, and the related practices are based on the instructions issued by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). According to THL's instructions, an automatic 48-hour default delay is used with patient documents prepared in emergency care and a permanent delay with documents that are considered to endanger the patient's health or treatment. However, the instructions do not indicate that THL took into account the provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation on the data subject's right of access to their personal data or the provisions of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities on everyone's right of access to official documents concerning them, for example, when drawing up the instructions.

The Deputy-Ombudsman has requested the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health to obtain the information needed to investigate the matter from THL and to issue its own statement on the matter by 30 October 2026 at the latest.

Further information is available from Senior Legal Adviser Riitta Burrell, tel. +358 50 911 2909.