About HAS
The Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) - or French National Authority for Health - was set up by the French government in August 2004 in order to bring together under a single roof a number of activities designed to improve the quality of patient care and to guarantee equity within the healthcare system. HAS activities are diverse. They range from assessment of drugs, medical devices, and procedures to publication of guidelines to accreditation of healthcare organisations and certification of doctors. All are based on rigorously acquired scientific expertise. Training in quality issues and information provision are also key components of its work programme.
HAS is not a government body. It is an independent public body with financial autonomy. It is mandated by law to carry out specific missions on which it reports to Government and Parliament. It liaises closely with government health agencies, national health insurance funds, research organisms, unions of healthcare professionals, and patients' representatives.
HAS has been built on 3 founding principles: a very broad field of action, which means that it can compare a range of healthcare initiatives; a high degree of scientific rigour; and independence.
HAS' organisational structure and resources
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. The organisation is divided into several divisions which implement the strategic work-plan conceived by the Board. The annual budget is 60 million euros. HAS has 350 permanent staff but can call upon over 3000 experts.
New
To propose guidelines to help healthcare organisations implement effective strategies for antibiotic use and prevent bacterial resistance.
These guidelines relate to proper use of antibiotics in hospitals and specify:
- provisions on the prescription of antibiotics;
- the role of institutional players;
- the role of non-institutional players;
- methods of information provision and training.
17/03/2010
HAS (French National Authority for Health) is organising together with the BMJ (British Médical Journal) the first conference dedicated to the clinical impact of quality and safety improvement programmes in health care.
26/02/2010
The aim of this current project is to revise the categories “External breast prosthesis, breast implant, tissue expander”.
In 2009, external non-solid silicone breast prostheses and external fluid-filled prostheses are reimbursed by the French national health insurance, with no indication specified. Just one type of adhesive silicone prosthesis is reimbursed following mastectomy (Amoena Contact, made by Amoena France).
Breast implants that are reimbursed are textured implants of any shape. Implants are reimbursed if the indication is breast reconstruction, with the exception of exclusively cosmetic procedures.
The types of tissue expanders that are reimbursed by the French national health insurance are either smooth, textured with integrated valve or textured with a self-closing valve.Indications are stated for each class of tissue expander: in breast reconstruction for textured and smooth expanders, in plastic and reconstructive surgery under defined conditions for smooth expanders [significant loss of tissue (burns, trauma or following extensive excision of naevi or tumours) as an alternative to skin graft; congenital facial malformation, particularly in children].
22/02/2010
A summary statement in English will be available in due course.
19/02/2010
To gather public opinion on their projects, guideline developpers and health assessment technology agencies have increasingly used public consultations.
These can take various forms (online questionnaire, public meetings, surveys of practice, etc ...).
03/02/2010
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