HAS expects every patient to know they can give feedback, complain, praise or declare an adverse event, and expects the establishment to act on what they say. Criterion 1.4-02 on using satisfaction and experience results is an impératif, so patient experience can decide certification.
What the référentiel asks
Under criterion 1.4-01 the patient knows they can express satisfaction and experience during and after their stay, make a complaint or praise, reach a mediator, and declare an adverse event. The certification macaron and published indicators, e-Satis included, must be displayed at reception and on the website.1 Under the impératif 1.4-02 the establishment collects patients' email addresses for e-Satis, tracks participation, shares results and verbatims with each unit every six months, and acts on the CDU's recommendations.1
Where France stands
In 2025, 1.45 million patients answered e-Satis. Ambulatory surgery patients scored their satisfaction 80.1 out of 100 and patients staying more than 48 hours in medicine, surgery and obstetrics 75.2, both still rising since measurement began in 2016.2 The first 6th cycle results fell six points on the patient chapter, and HAS strengthened patient rights, experience and satisfaction in this cycle.2
| Right or expectation | What the patient should find |
|---|---|
| Access to the record | Documents within 8 days, no earlier than 48 hours, or within 2 months for information over 5 years old |
| Consent | Informed consent to the care plan, given freely, criterion 1.3-01 |
| Personne de confiance | The chance to name one, criterion 1.3-02 |
| Feedback and complaints | e-Satis, internal surveys, complaints, praise and a mediator |
| Discharge | A discharge letter for continuity of care, criterion 2.1-14 |
- Collect every email for e-Satis. Track the collection rate by unit, because HAS checks it.
- Answer enquiries the same day. And keep the reply time on the record, so the front desk can be measured as well as the ward.
- Answer in the patient's language. So the feedback measures the care, not the language barrier around it.
- Share results every six months. Scores and verbatims by unit, with the team choosing its own actions.
- Bring the CDU in. Act on its recommendations and show the user representatives what changed.
- Display what HAS asks. The macaron and published indicators at reception and on the website.
- Unit ______ Period ______
- e-Satis emails collected ______ Response rate ______
- Score ______ Top verbatim, positive ______ Negative ______
- Complaints ______ Praise ______
- Median first reply time ______
- Actions chosen by the team ______ CDU recommendation acted on ______
For the visit itself, the guide to the patient traceur shows what the expert-visiteur asks the patient. Requests to see the record follow the legal time limits set out by service-public.fr.3
Questions
Is patient experience an impératif criterion?
Yes. Criterion 1.4-02, taking satisfaction and experience into account, is impératif in the référentiel 2025.
How quickly must we give a patient their record?
Within 8 days of the request and no earlier than 48 hours, or within 2 months when the information is more than five years old.
Must we display our certification result?
Yes. The macaron for your level and the published indicators, e-Satis included, go at reception and on your website.
Sources
- 1Haute Autorité de santé, 2025Référentiel, Certification des établissements de santé pour la qualité des soins, version 2025Read source
- 2Haute Autorité de santé, 2026Dossier de presse, Quel est le niveau de la qualité des soins en France, février 2026Read source
- 3Service-Public.fr, 2025Comment accéder à son dossier médicalRead source
Written by the wai team from Haute Autorité de santé guidance, checked on 16 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. Neither HAS nor any ARS endorses wai or any software.