France

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Health systems in transition
France
and in the strategic planning of health care provision and delivery. The
development of tools to monitor and improve the performance of hospitals and
social care organizations is also in the remit of ANAP.
National Agency for the Quality Assessment of Health and Social Care
Organizations and Services (Agence nationale de l’évaluation de la qualité
des établissements et services sociaux et médico-sociaux). The remit of the
Agency is to promote an environment of “empathic treatment” (bientraitance) in
health and social care, which encompasses the promotion of patient rights and
the development of preventive measures to avoid mistreatment, in particular in
vulnerable populations such as elderly, disabled people, children, adolescents
and socially excluded people. It produces practice guidelines for the health and
social care sector and evaluates organizations and services.
National Institute for Cancer (Institut National du Cancer; INCa). This is
the national health and scientific agency for oncology and it provides expertise
in the field of cancer and scientific programming, evaluation and financing of
projects. It mainly provides expertise in the field of treatment and develops
clinical guidelines, monitors and finances research and development in cancer
and contributes to continuing medical education in the field of cancer.
The merger of three of these health agencies has been proposed as part of
the planned 2015 Health Reform Law (projet loi de santé 2015, see section 6.2):
InVS (public health surveillance), INPES (education and prevention) and
EPRUS are to be absorbed into a National Institute for Prevention, Surveillance
and Public Health Intervention.
2.3.4 Independent health authority
The HAS is an independent public body with financial autonomy to bring
together within a single entity a number of activities designed to improve the
quality and the efficiency of patient care. The HAS remit is diverse, ranging
from assessment of drugs, medical devices and procedures to publication of
guidelines and accreditation of health care organizations and certification
of doctors. It is mandated by law to carry out specific missions on which it
reports to the government and the parliament. It liaises closely with government
health agencies, SHI funds, research organizations, unions of health care
professionals and patients’ representatives. Its agenda is defined by a board of
eight directors designated by the presidents of the French Republic, the National
Assembly, the Senate and the Economic and Social Council. The HAS board
provides governance. Each board member heads a specialist committee and is
responsible for a specific mission or specific aspects of a mission. It has recently