Fifth edition of French Digital Health Doctrine places focus on cyber security

The fifth edition of the Digital Health Doctrine for France has been published as a “reference document for actors in the e-health ecosystem, who develop or operate digital services” for healthcare workers and users.

The doctrine highlights ongoing work in interoperability, including the new Cadre d’Interopérabilité des Systèmes d’Information de Santé (CI-SIS), and on SNOMED international components, as well as around ethics in telehealth, and the launch of the CaRE program to support health institutions “in the face of cyber risk”.

In terms of telehealth, the doctrine states that as of this year, “the sectoral standards of teleconsultation information systems and digital medical devices (DMN) give rise to the issuance of certificates of conformity, mandatory to qualify for funding or support by the public authorities”.

The My Health Space shared medical record is also taking shape, with the doctrine noting a “regular increase in health documents available to users”, and with a focus now on prioritising professional access to My Health Space profiles “in accordance with the professional empowerment matrix“.

Finally, the doctrines considers progress around enhancing access to digital innovations for patients, with the help of the digital technologies reimbursement scheme (PECAN) in 2023, and the “financing of consortia led by universities to train digital health professionals”.

France’s Digital Health Roadmap defines four priority areas across prevention, support, access to health, and “suitable setting”, focusing on using digital technologies to give health professionals time to care, encouraging the development of digital uses and innovation in health, and improving access to healthcare.

To find out more about the latest doctrine, please click here.

In related news, the Government of Canada has signed a bilateral agreement to invest $256 million in improving healthcare access and services in Newfoundland and Labrador, in support of the province’s three-year action plan. A main focus is on modernising health data systems, promoting access to electronic health records for citizens, and implementing a province-wide emergency response dispatch centre.