Health data: Regionalised access is a priority challenge for building a secure, transparent and innovative national health data repository.

Abstract

France has been engaged in a legal and organisational transition for many years. It has had to adapt its national framework to the legal requirements of personal data protection, European ambitions and international competition. From the Data Protection Act of 1978 to the Healthcare System Transformation Act of 2019, reforms have strengthened requirements in terms of personal data protection, while opening the way to innovative uses. Recent European regulations, such as the AI Act (2024) and the European Health Data Area (2024), aim to reinforce this dynamic, ensuring a secure, transparent and competitive framework for the sharing and use of health data. How can we ensure that the re-use of healthcare data is truly effective, while respecting the fundamental rights of citizens? How can we reconcile national and European ambitions with the technical and organisational realities of the healthcare system, in clinical and research teams, and as close as possible to patients and users in our territories? These questions are essential, because access to and use of health data are seen as major levers for improving the quality of care, supporting innovation and boosting the competitiveness of the French healthcare system. The impact study on the 2019 reform stresses that the transformation of the healthcare system will have to be based on taking better account of the needs of patients and professionals by encouraging local initiatives. In this context, France faces a priority to establish greater coordination between the national and local levels, while preserving the trust of users. This precious trust is essential if we are to make the transition to achieving national and European objectives for the scientific and economic use of data.