Affiliations: Inserm U1018, Epidemiology of occupational and social
determinants of health, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population
Health, Versailles St-Quentin University, Villejuif, France | Inserm CépiDc, Epidemiological center on
medical causes of death, Le Vésinet, France | Department of Biostatistics, Centre Hospitalier
Universitaire (University teaching hospital) de Dijon, BP 1542, 21034 Dijon
Cedex, France | Inserm, U866, Dijon, F-21000, France; University of
Burgondy, Dijon, F-21000, France | French Society of Statistics, France
Note: [] Corresponding author: Pr Quantin Catherine, CHU de Dijon, DIM- 1
boulevard Jeanne d'Arc, BP 77908, 21079 Dijon Cedex, France. Tel.: 0380293629;
Fax: 0380293973; E-mail: catherine.quantin@chu-dijon.fr
Abstract: After a brief presentation of the components and evolution of the
French statistical health information system, this article goes on to describe
the main sources of data from which public health indicators are derived. Among
sources that cover the whole country, or those based on data collection that
can be extrapolated to the whole French population, the article focuses on
exhaustive health databases essentially those run by the administration:
mortality data provided by death certificates, morbidity data collected from
administrative patient management files, particularly from hospitals and health
insurance organizations and other health data from compulsory reporting. It
also presents other sources of data such as large national general population
surveys, national surveys involving health professionals or structures, and
health surveillance networks and registries. The article mentions two important
problems faced by the French health statistics system, namely the linkage of
different sources, while respecting legislation on personal privacy and the
organisation of access to data for research, surveillance and public health
purposes.
Keywords: Health system, data sources, mortality data, national surveys, surveillance networks, registries, linkage, public health
