Privacy
The research project HealthIntro is about finding out why not everyone completes the Introduction program for refugees and what significance health challenges have for this. Here you will find information on how we use data from public registers, and what rights you have if this data includes information about you.
The purpose of the project is to improve conditions for refugees with health challenges in the introduction program and enhance their chances of success in the labor market and society.
Use of Register Data
To find this out, we use pseudo-anonymised register data from these registers:
- The KUHR database (Control and Payment of Health Reimbursements) at the Norwegian Directorate of Health for the period 2006-2021.
- Data from the thematic areas of population, income, introduction scheme, and employment from Statistics Norway (SSB) for the period 2005-2021.
Pseudonymisation means that certain directly identifying parameters (for example social security numbers) are replaced with pseudonyms, which will still be unique identifiers. Therefore, there is a probability that an individual can be indirectly identified, and often it is a point that one can follow the same (pseudonymised) person over a certain period, for example in connection with research.
We have assessed the consequences for privacy by using data from these registers in accordance with the "Data Protection Impact Assessment" (DPIA).
Storage of Data
In the pseudonymised data we use in HealthIntro, all social security numbers are replaced by serial numbers. The data is stored in Services for sensitive data (TSD) at the University of Oslo. TSD is a closed solution for sensitive data that meets all legal requirements for privacy and security.
The linkage key between social security numbers and serial numbers for the data we use in the project, is created and stored by SSB.
A linkage key is a name list or file that makes it possible to identify individuals in a dataset. Creating a linkage key involves replacing, for example, names or email addresses with a number or other code. The linkage key then becomes the file that links, for example, the code to a name.
Data Controller
UiT The Arctic University of Norway, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, and Fafo are jointly responsible for the processing of personal data in the register data in HealthIntro. The project manager has the daily responsibility for the processing of personal data in the project.
Project Duration
The research project HealthIntro started in 2019 and lasts until February 28, 2026. After the project is completed, the data will be stored in TSD for five years in accordance with requirements from the Regional Ethical Committee (REC).
Legal Basis for the Project
The project is in the public interest, and the results of the research may be important for improving the Introduction program for refugees. The project is approved by REC north and the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research (SIKT).
The project has conducted a personal consequence assessment and received approval from the management at UiT, NORCE, and Fafo.
Who Has Access to the Information
Three researchers (one from UiT, one from NORCE, and one from Fafo) have access to the personal data through the Services for sensitive data (TSD).
Your Rights and Right to Complain
If your personal data is included in the registers used in HealthIntro, you have the right to access the information we have registered about you. You can also object to the processing of your data.
You also have the right to have any errors in the information we have registered corrected, and you have the right to be exempted from the project and have your data removed if you wish.
If you contact us regarding correcting errors or being removed from the data we use, you will hear from us within a month. We will provide you with a good reason if we believe you cannot be identified or that your rights cannot be exercised.
If you feel that we do not respect your privacy in connection with the research project, you can file a complaint with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority. If you believe the approval from the Regional Ethical Committee (REC) is incorrect, you can complain to the National Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (NEM).
Contact Information
If you have questions about how we handle information about you, you can contact the project manager Johanna Laue (johanna.laue@uit.no) or the Data Protection Officer (personvernombud@uit.no) at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.