“New Revolution” on the health side. With a few weeks delay linked to the fifth wave of Covid-19, the government opened the generalization of “My health space”, Thursday, February 3. “The French are ready” for this “a new course in the development of digital health”, declared Olivier Véran during a press conference, comparing this launch to that of the Vitale card in 1998. The device will allow all insured persons to benefit from a digital health record, created automatically. Franceinfo provides an update on this online account, thanks to which it will be possible for policyholders to “store and access their health data confidently and securely”.
1How to activate his account?
Between January and March, the 65 million insured persons, adults and children, will receive a letter or email from Health Insurance, the Ministry of Solidarity and Health or the Agricultural Social Mutual Fund asking them to activate this computerized medical file with their vital card and a provisional code. For minors, the code will be sent to the parent to whom it is attached to the health insurance fund. This temporary code is valid for six weeks. Once this period has passed, it will be possible to generate a new one by filling out an online form, in order to receive an e-mail containing a link to an identification page.
The monespacesante.fr website is accessible from a computer, smartphone or tablet. An application should be deployed soon. People who cannot access the internet can ask for help at a France services local counter or from their primary health insurance fund.
2Is it possible to oppose the creation of an account?
“My health space” accounts are created automatically. This automation is moreover denounced as a “forced passage” and an “denial of patients’ right to free and informed consent” by the Syndicate of General Medicine (SMG), a minority in the profession.
The government leaves the choice to close its health space, within six weeks, that is to say the period of validity of the provisional code. After this period, it will be necessary to request the closure directly on the site, with the support of “My health space” by telephone at 3422, or with the health insurance fund of attachment.
It is also an opportunity to retrieve the data linked to his profile, by clicking on the button “I request the download of all the information from ‘My health space'”. Any insured person may request the permanent deletion of all or part of their health data. Otherwise, they are kept for ten years.
3What data does this account contain?
All medical documents such as prescriptions, results of examinations and analyses, medical imaging and hospitalization reports, are collected in this “health space”. The decree of August 4, 2021 provides for an exception: minors wishing to keep confidential information concerning their sexual health (contraception, recourse to abortion, screening for sexually transmitted infections) have the right to oppose the inclusion of these elements in their digital file .
For policyholders who already have a Shared Medical Record (DMP), it can still be consulted and all of its data will be transferred to “My health space”. For the others, it will be necessary to fill in the health information, because the profile will be almost empty when it is created. Only the history of reimbursed health acts and the vaccination course will appear.
The majority of health data will be entered by the health professionals consulted, but a patient can complete his file. Family history, diseases, allergies, vaccinations you have received, treatments in progress… It is also possible to share a summary of your profile with health professionals.
At any time, an insured person can block or unblock access to their medical file by a healthcare professional. On the other hand, it is impossible to refuse an authorized professional, or the persons exercising under his responsibility, to file in a file the information useful for the prevention, continuity and coordination of care. Except “legitimate reason”.
4Who will have access to this health data?
Only health professionals. As soon as a healthcare professional or establishment accesses the health documents of an insured person for the first time, the latter is automatically notified, specifies the frequently asked questions of “My health space”. The connection history, with the name of the professional, the document consulted, the date and time, is also available. Information access rights “are established according to an authorization matrix (PDF) defining the data accessible according to their profession or their specialty”, further details the frequently asked questions. We discover, for example, that an optician cannot access a delivery report. On the other hand, a dentist or a physiotherapist can consult the results of analyses, care prescriptions and treatments recorded in the file.
In some cases, the patient’s consent is presumed automatically. Thus, a care team (composed of healthcare professionals directly involved in providing care in progress or in coordinating it) has, by default, access to this data. Similarly, the attending physician designated by a patient in his shared medical file has access to all the information contained. What raised fears
In the event of an emergency, any healthcare professional required to take care of a patient, as well as the Samu regulating doctor, will have access to their information. However, there is an “Access in case of emergency” section in which it is possible to oppose it.
Healthcare professionals who are not part of a patient’s care team must obtain the patient’s prior consent, verbally or in writing, to consult their digital file. It is also important to note that access to the medical file can in no case be required when signing an insurance contract, mutual insurance or any other contract requiring the evaluation of your state of health. The world recalls that any consultation of a health space not motivated by medical reasons may lead to criminal penalties.
5Will this account still evolve?
The “My Health Space” site hosts a secure messaging service, through which policyholders and healthcare professionals can exchange information. It is also planned, soon, the integration of a calendar to manage medical appointments and receive reminders for check-ups such as check-ups, screenings or vaccination.
These services will be supplemented by a catalog of applications in the field of health and well-being, developed by private or public players and referenced by the State. These applications will deal, for example, with the monitoring of chronic diseases, teleconsultation or prevention. Only the insured can authorize access to these services to his file.
6Are the data secure?
All the data stored in your personal space as well as the monespacesante.fr site are protected and secured by the State, the CNIL and the National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam). All data is hosted in France by two subcontractors, Atos and Santeos. However, it is advisable to access your account via a secure network and to avoid a connection from a public network such as a station or a hotel to limit the risk of hacking.
In recent years, health data has gained in value in the eyes of cybercriminals. Many hospitals have thus been targeted by computer attacks intended to steal personal data to demand ransoms. And the Covid-19 pandemic has only increased the opportunities for hackers to attack health data.