Caring for data: ethnographic study of data care work in Finland

The datafication of healthcare and social welfare services has increased the demand for data care work. Data care work denotes the practical, hands-on labour of caring for data. Drawing on ethnographic material from a data team, this article examines its mundane practices within a wellbeing services county in Finland, with a focus on the sticking points that constitute the dark side of data care work. These sticking points stem mainly from organisational factors, regulatory and policy changes, and technical challenges that frequently intersect. The analysis further suggests that the sticking points reflect persistent struggles to maintain data quality, a task that is central to data care work. Inaccurate data can produce biased decisions, particularly in such areas as funding and care workforce allocation. Acknowledging this often-hidden labour is crucial for understanding how data infrastructures function in everyday healthcare and social welfare settings. As a relatively new approach in care research, the concept of data care work enables a broader examination of the implications of datafication for these services.