["Research, medicine and tomorrow"].
In recent years health networks have developed as an essential new element in the organisation of the French health system. Under the auspices of the Regional Agency for Hospitalisation, the Franche-Comté was established in 1996 as per the Agency's order to implement a policy which facilitated the development and expansion of such networks. A Regional Federation of Health Networks was recently created in order to accompany the implementation of this policy so as to ensure coherence and efficiency. This article briefly presents one such health network in order to provide an example of the operational axis common to all networks. Furthermore, it presents the Regional Federation of Health Networks from Franche-Comté in order to highlight the necessity for research on the coordination and collaboration between the different health networks. Finally, the reader is invited to question the potential role of the Faculty of Medicine in this schema for the future expansion of the health system to one which focuses on health rather than medicine, taking into account the new professional practices and the new occupational fields which have arisen as a result of the development of health networks.
Aubry
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Centre régional de Soins Palliatifs, Hôpital Jean-Minjoz, 25030 Besançon, France.
D019058:Community Networks; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007587:Job Description; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012109:Research Support as Topic