Customer story: Data transmissions to national registers made easy: Case Siun sote and the Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer

At Siun sote, the introduction of the Data Exchange Layer has simplified the recording of information about newborn infants, for example, and speeded up the updating of data in national registers.

– When a child is born in North Karelia, they receive a personal identity code directly. This can be achieved, since Siun sote’s registers are connected through the Data Exchange Layer to the Population Information System, summarises Tiina Vatanen, Head of Information Management of Siun sote.

Simpler information registering, enhanced security

In the past, data on newborn infants was collected from Siun sote’s own systems into a single file at the end of the day, after which the file was sent to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency that maintains the Population Information System. The transfer file with the personal identity codes was available for retrieval the next morning.

– Up to that point, temporary personal identity codes had to be used. From the nursing staff's point of view, recording has become easier now that the correct personal identity code is available immediately. It has also sharpened the recording process, as the person storing the data knows that the any data recorded is forwarded immediately, Vatanen describes.

In addition to minimising delays and risks of errors in the flow of information, the Data Exchange Layer has strengthened the information security of Siun sote even further, as it has reduced the number of intermediaries and systems needed for the transfer of information.

A well-working model has been easy to duplicate

Siun sote’s data on newborn infants has been transmitted through the Data Exchange Layer since December 2018, and the North Karelians have been satisfied with the solution. The next development step will take place in the near future, as deaths too will soon be recorded via a system connected to the Data Exchange Layer, sending updates to the Population Information System without delay.

The deployment process has been smooth on both occasions. The deployments have received support from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, DigiFinland and the experiences of other health care and social welfare organisations’ corresponding deployments.

– We did not have to reinvent the wheel, since we could leverage other parties’ experiences during the process. A lot of help was available for both deploying the Security Server and whenever problems occurred, summarises Jukka Pitkänen, who was responsible for the first Data Exchange Layer deployment project at Siun sote.

A great data transfer solution for social welfare and health care organisations

For Siun sote, joining the Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer worked out well, which is why the members of Siun sote recommend it also to other health care and social welfare organisations. Above all, the Data Exchange Layer facilitates the flow of information between different systems and different authorities. When the necessary information is immediately available to another authority, the processing of a client’s case is quicker.

– I can definitely recommend the Data Exchange Layer. If you are considering a data transmission solution, here’s an off-the-shelf national-scale building block that eliminates the need to build a service for yourself or purchase one from the private market, Vatanen says.

Additional information

Read more about the Data Exchange Layer here.

The deployment of the Data Exchange Layer will be carried out in cooperation with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. We provide advice and support for the deployment in all situations. Our contact information can be found here.