Europe 1 with AFP 6:32 p.m., February 14, 2024
Nearly 85% of health establishments meet "quality of care requirements", but 12.8% must "demonstrate rapid improvement" and 2.8% are "not certified" for "insufficient" quality, this share having “never been so high”, points out the High Authority of Health on Wednesday.
Every four years, the HAS evaluates the 2,500 French health establishments, on various criteria - largely modified in 2020/2021 - such as the relevance of actions, risk management, or respect for patients' rights.
Halfway through the new certification campaign which will continue until 2025, "the vast majority of our establishments are certified. However, some are not and their number is low, but has never been so high ", declared HAS president Lionel Collet at a press conference.
Results generally worse in smaller establishments
Out of 1,158 decisions rendered, 724 establishments were “certified” and 252 “certified with distinction” for their “high quality of care”. But quality remains “to be improved” in 149 establishments, which will be subject to a new visit. It is even “insufficient” in 33 establishments, to be re-evaluated in 12 to 24 months.
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The HAS notes "regional disparities": in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, Centre-Val-de-Loire or Réunion the results are "rather very good", while others fall below average, such as Guyana, Guadeloupe and Pays-de-la-Loire, observed Anne Chevrier, head of the certification department.
Likewise, results are generally less good in small establishments, both public and private, and those which particularly struggle to recruit staff. The best performers are larger hospitals, university hospitals (CHU) and cancer centers.
Non-certification does not prevent hospitals from practicing
In medium-sized establishments, those "with an extremely wide range of activities" are in more difficulty, especially "if, in addition, they have psychiatry and emergencies", she said. Certain “imperative” criteria, such as “respect for the dignity of patients”, may be less well respected.
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Non-certification does not prevent hospitals from operating, but allows them to “alert” health authorities and local elected officials. “Experience shows that (...) decisions are taken behind,” assured Lionel Collet.
HAS is launching an online communication campaign to publicize its “Qualiscope” tool (on has-sante.fr), a comparator that allows patients to see in detail, hospital by hospital, the level of certification and the scores obtained on several quality and patient satisfaction indicators.