Individual therapy for adults

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö) regulates the rights of healthcare patients and the responsibilities of healthcare professionals. According to the Act on Healthcare Professionals 559/1994 (Laki terveydenhuollon ammattihenkilöistä) and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Decree on Patient Documents 94/2022 (Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön asetus potilasasiakirjoista), healthcare professionals are obligated by law to collect personal data such as the patient's name, date of birth, personal identification number, municipality of residence and contact information; which is stored in patient records. Personal data is stored in accordance with the Act on the Processing of Customer Data in Social and Health Care 703/2023 (Laki sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon asiakastietojen käsittelystä) and in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (Yleinen tietosuoja-asetus). This requires that patient records are confidential and can be accessed only by the psychologist and the responsible authority if necessary. Patients have the right to access their information at any time. The law also states that if a private healthcare service provider in Finland ceases its operations, they must submit all their records to Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) for storage. Psychologists are also required to collect documents or notes regarding each patient's case. These documents are minimal and are used only for treatment purposes and to keep track of therapy sessions. The psychologist's notes are also confidential, and can be shared only with the patient themselves if requested. Documents will not be shared with third parties unless the patient has given their written consent.