The Government is continuing to digitize public services with the arrival of the digital Vitale card in France in 2023 via the apCV application, which will offer the same functions as its physical counterpart with some advantages.
As promised, the Government is continuing to digitize public services. A movement now generalized in our society, especially for transport tickets and stamps. Thus, after having the digital identity card with France Identity, it is the good old Vitale card which should gradually go into a dematerialized version. The goal: to ensure the digital shift in health and “to streamline relations between healthcare professionals and policyholders”. Thereby, a decree published on December 28, 2022 and entered into force on 1er January 2023 has just confirmed the deployment of the Vitale e-card on French territory during 2023. It also defines the “characteristics of the means of electronic identification of policyholders and healthcare professionals”. We take stock of what awaits us.
Digital Vitale card: who is concerned?
The transition from a physical Vitale card to a digital one is not done in a snap, fortunately. Rhône and Alpes-Maritimes have been in the test phase since 2019, followed by Saône-et-Loire, Seine-Maritime, Bas-Rhin, Hérault, Loire-Atlantique, Sarthe and Puy-de -Dome. The opening to the rest of France is planned for 2023 thanks to the decree, but it is not impossible that a delay in deployment – quite usual with the Government – postpones it to 2024. Still, the device must be globally installed and usable throughout the country by 2026.
For the moment, the decree does not imply any constraint to have to switch to a digital Vitale card, so it is quite possible to keep your little piece of green plastic. It is more of an alternative solution to the physical format. Let’s hope it doesn’t become compulsory, because it would increase the digital divide, especially for older people who are not very comfortable with technology and those who don’t have a smartphone. Of course, everyone is only entitled to one active Vitale card, available in both physical and digital format.
The dematerialized vital card will be accessible to everyone on smartphones and tablets via an application called apCV – for the moment, it is not available on the Play Store or the App Store. It will contain all the user’s identification data, namely the national health identifier (INS) and usage monitoring data, and will allow access to SESAM-Vitale invoicing (teletransmission), teleservices integrated with compulsory health insurance (AMO) and pharmaceutical records (for pharmacists).
When installing and configuring the application, the user must enter his NIR (social security number), a valid identity document (passport, identity card or residence permit), an address personal email and a selfie in order to perform facial recognition with the photo on their ID. Then, you will need to define a four-digit password to protect your data. During the consultation, the healthcare professional will only have to scan the QR code that is displayed in the application or use an NFC reader on which the patient will deposit his smartphone – as for contactless payments. L’Assurance Maladie recommends that health professionals use the QR Code option as a priority because not all smartphones are equipped with NFC technology – especially when it comes to entry-level ones.
Digital Vitale card: what are the advantages?
As a reminder, the Vitale card allows the healthcare professional to draw up an electronic care sheet instead of a paper care sheet, which allows the patient to be automatically reimbursed after one week, without having to carry out the slightest procedure with their health insurance organization. The digital Vitale card will offer the same functions as its physical counterpart, but will offer “innovative features” to promote the “digital deployment in the field of health”according to an opinion from the National Commission for Computing and Liberties (CNIL).
The main advantage of the Vitale e-card will be to avoid omissions since there is more chance that a patient has his smartphone in his family than his Vitale card. As a result, it will simplify access to health data for patients and caregivers and will ensure that electronic transmissions are always guaranteed – it is very easy to lose a paper care sheet or forget to send it to forgetting a Vitale card. In the same way, it will have to secure the course of the care sheets by avoiding problems, such as rejected invoices and errors, thanks to the automatic access to the ADRi right service (Acquisition of Integrated Rights) – it allows a health professional, via its approved software or its billing equipment, to acquire the information concerning the medico-administrative situation of a beneficiary of care necessary for the development of an Electronic Care Sheet (ESF).
The digital Vitale card will also allow you to track your healthcare expenses directly via the application, while limiting physical contact via the exchange of the card, and therefore the contamination of the healthcare professional. In the future, apCV will include mutual insurance data, and it will allow you to delegate your Vitale card to a trusted third party for a limited period – very practical for grandparents who look after their grandchildren, or when the patient is stuck in bed and can’t pick up their treatments at the pharmacy – and identify themselves securely to online health services.