The national health data system is now open to organizations exercising a public service mission, announces the ministry.
The world of research will benefit from a particularly useful advance: the liberation of health data. Provided for in the health law, the measure is entering its implementation phase, with the dissemination of a press release from the Ministry of Health announcing the opening of these data to organizations exercising a public service mission.
As part of “a study, research or evaluation of public interest”, these organizations will be able to have access to the national health data system, which gathers anonymous information on the health journey of the French ( consultations with doctors and other health professionals, prescription drugs, hospitalizations, medical causes of death, etc.).
Health Insurance, HAS …
“This database aims to improve public health policies, patient information and advance medical research. For example, teams of scientists and statisticians will be able to use the information it contains to advance their research ”, specifies the ministry.
The State, Health Insurance, the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM), the High Authority for Health (HAS) or even the French Public Health Agency can access it permanently. For others, access to health data will be subject to more stringent conditions, detailed within of the decree of December 26, 2016 which implements the new regulations.
Thus, research teams from university hospital centers (CHU), the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) and cancer control centers can consult the 1 / 100th sample of the population, specifies the ministry.
Promotion prohibited
The law prohibits the use of this information for two purposes: “the commercial promotion of health products and the adjustment of insurance contracts” (depending on the state of health or behavior of people, for example). A strict security “repository” guarantees the confidentiality of the personal data it contains, we can still read.
Other public or private organizations, profit or non-profit, will also soon have access to the data from this database “for any study, research and evaluation of public interest”. They too will be subject to the conditions specified in the decree.
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