Finland

Legislation

• Finnish Act on Personal Data (APD)(Act No. 523/1999)(unofficial English translation)(pdf English translation, Finlex)
• Act on the Medical Use of Tissues and Organs (No. 101/2001) (pdf English translation, Finlex)
• Finnish Act of Medical Research (No. 488/1999)(pdf English translation, Finlex)
• Act on the Status and Rights of Patients (Patient’s Rights Act, 785/1992)(pdf English translation, Finlex)
• Act on Health Care Professionals (559/1994)(pdf English translation, Finlex)
• Other relevant legislation: Act on the Openness of Government Activities with amendments (621/1999) (pdf English translation, Finlex), relevant to accessing health records kept in a public hospital.

Guidance

• National Authority for Medicolegal Affairs has issued is instructions for permission to use tissue samples taken for diagnostic purposes for research (2008).
• The Sub-Committee on Medical Research Ethics of the Finnish National Advisory Board on Health Care Ethics has issued its instructions on the use of DNA-samples in epidemiological studies (2002).

Biobanks/Genetic Databases

• Existing BBGDs in Finland includes the National Biobank of Finland which preserves DNA cohorts collected in Finland, related facilities at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) (previously KTL) holds DNA from more than 200,000 individuals.

Other References

• VALVIRA - National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (relevant authority for research on tissues).