Signing an eHealth agreement
Cooperation agreements between healthcare institutions (GHT hospital groups, CPTS healthcare professional communities, hospital-clinic partnership agreements), signed electronically with the same legal value as a paper agreement. Comply with Articles L6132-1 and L1434-12 of the Public Health Code (Modernisation Act 2016) and the eIDAS Regulation recommended advanced signature, multi-institutions, archiving 10 years included.
- Legal framework
- The Commission shall inform the Member States of the date of the notification of this Decision.
- Signature level
- AES eIDAS recommended
- Legal archives
- 10 years included
What is an interagency health care agreement?
The inter-healthcare facility agreements formalize cooperation between healthcare system actors. Several categories: (1) hospital groupings in the territory (GHT, Art. L6132-1 CSP, created by the law on the modernization of the healthcare system of 26 January 2016) compulsorily bring together public healthcare facilities in the same territory around a shared medical project; (2) territorial healthcare professional communities (CPTS, Art. L1434-12 CSP); coordinate liberal professionals and institutions in a territory (3) hospital-clinic agreements (Art. L6122-15) organize public/private complementary hospital agreements. All can be electronically signed with advanced signature + this trail, which dramatically accelerates the implementation of paper audits (usually in 6-12 months).
Why sign electronically?
Multi-institutions (up to 20+)
A GHT convention may involve 5 to 20 public health facilities. Our stream manages sequential (support facility first, then associated) or parallel signatures. Each legal representative signs from their phone with individual SMS OTP.
Reduced implementation times
More A/R mail between 10+ establishments (which can take 3-6 months). Electronic signature on the day of validation by the supervisory boards. Accelerated operational implementation of several months.
10 years of archiving + ARS traceability
Article L6122-7 CSP requires the storage of health conventions for 10 years.Certyneo automatically archives the conventions + the audit trail + the endorsements, which are accessible for any control by the Regional Health Agency (RHA) or the Court of Auditors.
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Each agreement is accompanied by a PDF of proof: identity of legal representatives, qualified time stamp, SHA-256 hash, OTP SMS.
The four-step procedure
From prep to legal filing in less than five minutes.
1. Preparing for the convention
Upload your project or use an ARS template. Required information: purpose, institutions parties, shared medical project (SMP), governance arrangements, financial arrangements, duration, termination arrangements, evaluation.
2. Add the signatories
Legal representatives of each institution (hospital directors, CME presidents, private clinic directors).
3. Choose the eIDAS level
Advanced signature (AES) required in view of institutional and financial issues.
4. Notify and implement ARS
The final agreement + audit trail are archived for 10 years. Notification to the ARS for validation (GHT) or information (CPTS). Immediate operational implementation after ARS validation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can a GHT agreement be signed electronically?
- Yes, without restriction. Art. L6132-1 CSP requires a written but no prescribed form. The advanced signature (AES) Certyneo meets the evidentiary requirements and is compatible with ARS practices since 2024.
- Which institutions must be members of a GHT?
- All public health establishments in the same territory (Article L6132-1 CSP). Membership is compulsory only one HTA per establishment (except exceptional derogation ARS). CHU, CHS and reference establishments may be designated as supporting establishments.
- Can private institutions participate in an HTA?
- The Certyneo is a public-private partnership, but private institutions can sign partnership agreements with a GHT (Article L6132-9 CSP) or participate in a CPTS (Article L1434-12 CSP).
- How can I meet the requirements of the ARS?
- The ARS must be informed of any significant health conventions. For HTAs, the ARS approves the shared medical project (Art. L6132-2 CSP). Certyneo allows the ARS to be included as a signatory to the validation, with this joint trail.
- What signature level for a GHT convention?
- The EMS is not sufficient in view of the financial challenges (mutualisation of support functions, group purchases).
- How long do we have to keep the convention ?
- For agreements involving European funds (ERDF hospitals), 10 years after the closure of the programme.
- Can we change an agreement by signing it electronically?
- Yes the endorsers are signed as the original agreement.Given the number of signatories (10-20 for a GHT), the electronic signature is particularly effective for minor changes (addition of an establishment, change of governance).
- Is the electronically signed agreement enforceable against the ARS?
- Yes administrative case law recognises eIDAS-compliant electronic signature. The ARS cannot challenge the formal regularity of an agreement signed with advanced signature + audit trail Certyneo. Substantive control (compliance with the regional health project) obviously remains its competence.
See also
Sign your next inter-school agreement
Permanent free plan (5 envelopes/month), no credit card. Compliant with Public Health Code and eIDAS. Multi-institutions and archiving 10 years included.