France

106
Health systems in transition
France
the OECD average (Table 4.2). The availability of MRI units, in particular, has
been questioned, in terms of both waiting times and geographic dispersion
(Cour des comptes, 2010).
Table 4.2
Items of functioning diagnostic imaging technologies (MRI, CT, PET) in France
and OECD average in 2011
France
(per million population)
OECD average
(per million population)
MRI units 7.51 10.5
CT scanners 12.53 22.3
PET units 1.1 1.6
Source: OECD, 2014.
4.1.4 Information technology
In France, the development of the Internet has been rather slow compared with
other European countries but has improved in recent years. By June 2012, 81%
of people aged 12 years or over had access to the Internet at home, reflecting
a 3% increase over 12 months (CREDOC, 2012). In addition, the Internet
was often used for health-related purposes: in the same study, 37% of French
population reported having looked for health information for themselves or
one of their relatives on the Internet (Bigot & Croutte, 2011). The government
has taken the initiative in establishing health care information web sites for
the general public, including a searchable drug database (Base de données
publique des médicaments; http://base-donnees-publique.medicaments.gouv.
fr/) and Scope Santé (http://www.scopesante.fr/), which provides information
on hospital quality indicators.
Since the late 1980s, the French health care sector has seen a slow but
continuous development of its information technology infrastructure (see
section 2.7.1). Recently, development of information technology systems has
become a priority on the political agenda, mainly because it is seen as a way
to improve the efficiency of the sector. Moreover, in its 2013 National Health
Strategy, the government underscored the need to ensure compatibility and
interoperability among the information technology systems in the ambulatory,
hospital and medicosocial sectors (Ministry in charge of Health, 2013).