National file of health and social establishments (FINESS)

The FINESS directory is the single, national referencing directory for legal entities involved in the healthcare, medico-social and education of health and social professionals.

Getting started

The Fichier National des Établissements Sanitaires et Sociaux (FINESS) plays a crucial role as a reliable referencing system to regulate and steer healthcare provision, ensure interoperability of information with other national healthcare directories (ROR, RPPS), trigger funding for healthcare, medico-social and social establishments and assign a unique digital identity to them, enabling them to access digital healthcare services.

What do we find in FINESS?

  • In an exhaustive and mandatory manner, legal entities required to obtain prior authorization or approval, legal entities whose activity is subject to a prior validation procedure, as well as legal entities whose activity is legally regulated;
  • Optionally, other legal entities operating in the healthcare, medico-social and social sectors who wish to benefit from electronic identification means enabling secure access to digital healthcare services.

The FINESS directory offers free access to data that is regularly updated at territorial level thanks to contributions from the Agences Régionales de Santé (ARS) and the DREETS (Directions régionales de l'économie, de l'emploi, du travail et des solidarités). It is part of the Health Directory, which groups together sector-specific referencing directories for individuals and legal entities, such as the shared directory of healthcare professionals (RPPS), the ADELI directory.

In practice

Understand the finalités and contents of the FINESS directory then consultez les données and the extractions of the open access data.

When ?

When you want to verify information about a healthcare facility or populate your database, download data extractions.

Our expert on the subject

Marc De Vos,

Agence du numérique en santé

G_NIUS saves you time

Tools to help you with your project.

RPPS+ regulation sheet

The RPPS is the sector-specific referencing directory used to identify professionals, individuals, working in the healthcare, medico-social and social sectors.

ROR regulation sheet

The ROR is the Répertoire national de l'Offre et des Ressources en santé et accompagnement médico-social.

The FINESS: An Essential Tool for Innovation in the French Healthcare Sector

To innovate in the French healthcare sector, it's essential to understand the role of the FINESS (Fichier National des Établissements Sanitaires et Sociaux), a national directory that is the benchmark for identifying health and social establishments. The FINESS number represents the unique identifier assigned to each structure in the sector, thus guaranteeing traceability and coordination within the French healthcare system.

Function and Utility of the FINESS Directory

The FINESS fulfills several strategic functions in the healthcare ecosystem. This national file is used to regulate the activities of health and social establishments, to collect invaluable statistical data for assessing the supply of care, and to assign a digital identity to health structures. The FINESS directory has become indispensable for healthcare professionals who interact with these establishments, providing them with a reliable, up-to-date database.

Data organization in FINESS

The establishments listed in FINESS include hospitals, clinics, as well as various structures in the medico-social field such as EHPAD. Each entity is identified by a nine-character FINESS number, the first two of which are a code indicating the département in which it is located. The system distinguishes between two types of identifiers: the legal entity (EJ) and the geographical entity (EG), respectively identifying the legal structure and the physical sites where healthcare activities are carried out.

Interest for Innovation in the Healthcare Sector

For innovators in the field of digital healthcare, mastering the legal FINESS and geographical FINESS is crucial to developing solutions that comply with regulatory requirements. Integration with the FINESS directory facilitates access to FINESS data concerning health and social establishments, representing a major asset for improving the efficiency of digital healthcare services.

Actors and Data Access

In France, the Agences Régionales de Santé (ARS) play a leading role in managing and updating the national file of establishments, in coordination with the Agence Numérique en Santé. FINESS information is accessible via Data.gouv and on the esante.gouv portal, enabling innovators to consult this essential data to develop solutions in the health and medico-social fields.

Practical Applications in Territories

FINESS covers the whole of France, including overseas regions such as Martinique and Guadeloupe. This national database is used by the CNAM and synchronized with other repositories such as INSEE, thus forming a complete health data ecosystem that supports innovation in all health and medico-social fields.
In summary, FINESS is an indispensable tool for innovation in the healthcare sector, offering a solid basis for the identification and integration of health and social establishments into the French healthcare system.

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