Optimize your funding with mandatory indicators
The decree of August 5, 2025, significantly modifies the calculation methods for the IFAQ (Financial Incentive for Quality Improvement) allocation. For healthcare facilities, mastering these indicators is now crucial to optimizing their funding and recognizing their efforts in quality and safety of care. In this article, SafeTeam Academy presents all the mandatory indicators and strategies to maximize your quality allocation.
What is the IFAQ allocation?
The IFAQ allocation is a supplementary financial package granted to healthcare facilities based on their performance on quality and safety of care indicators.
Established by Article L. 162-23-15 of the Social Security Code, it rewards establishments that meet or exceed the quality targets set by the health authorities.
For 2025, the procedures have been updated to include new sectors of activity and strengthen certain evaluation criteria.
The 5 IFAQ Indicator Categories
The mandatory indicators for calculating the IFAQ allocation are divided into five main thematic categories:
1. Quality of Care Perceived by Patients
This category assesses patient satisfaction and experience through three major indicators:
•Satisfaction of patients hospitalized for more than 48 hours in MCO – Quality target: 77.3/100. Applies to facilities with at least 500 target patients (and less than 75% of the population aged over 75)
• Patient satisfaction in outpatient surgery – Quality target: 79.7/100. Same thresholds for mandatory data collection
• Patient satisfaction in inpatient rehabilitation facilities – Quality target: 76.6/100. Applicable to medical and rehabilitation facilities with at least 500 target patients
💡Key point:These e-Satis type indicators are fully weighted in the IFAQ calculation and are publicly available. They represent a major reputational challenge for your institution.
2. Quality of clinical care
This category includes indicators targeted by sector of activity:
• In psychiatry:Cardiovascular and metabolic assessment in adult patients (target: 80/100) and identification of addictions with proposed support for cessation (target: 80/100). Mandatory threshold: at least 31 target stays
• In HAD:Patient file maintenance (target: 80/100, at least 31 target stays)
• In SMR:Care plan and life plan (target: 80/100, at least 31 target stays)
• In MCO surgery:Thromboembolic events after total knee and hip replacement (threshold: at least 10 target stays). These indicators are underweighted with a coefficient of 0.25.
⚠️ Attention:The indicators for thromboembolic events and surgical site infections are calculated using 2023 PMSI data and are underweighted (coefficient 0.25). Their impact on IFAQ is therefore less.
3. Quality of Care Coordination
These indicators assess the fluidity of the patient pathway and the exchange of information:
•Shared Medical Record (DMP) Data Feeding:Mandatory indicator for all sectors (acute care, home hospitalization, resuscitation, dialysis). Quality target: 50%.
• Use of a secure health messaging system (SMS):Same scope of application, target: 50%
New for 2025:For the year 2025, these two digital indicators benefit from an exceptional provision. Each eligible establishment is awarded the maximum score, the quality target being considered automatically met. Remuneration is therefore automatic based on this criterion for this transition year.
• Outpatient Surgery:Quality of the discharge summary (target: 80/100, at least 31 target stays)
• Home Hospitalization:Coordination of care (target: 80/100, at least 31 target stays)
4. Performance of the organization of care
This category includes only one indicator specific to psychiatry: the measurement of full-time long-term hospitalizations in voluntary care. Calculated on the RIM-P data from 2023, it concerns establishments with at least 100 target stays and follows a specific calculation rule defined in article 9 of the decree of December 20, 2024.
5. Quality of practices in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections
The fight against nosocomial infections is assessed by:
• Good practices for additional contact precautions:In acute care, target: 80%, at least 10 target stays
• Measurement of surgical site infections:After total hip and knee replacement (threshold: 10 target stays). Weighted with a coefficient of 0.25
Certification: the mandatory cross-cutting indicator
The certification level (v2014 or new certification) applies to all sectors of activity: acute care, home hospitalization, specialized medical care, dialysis and psychiatry. This indicator follows a specific calculation rule defined in Article 10 of the decree of December 20, 2024, and is based on the latest available certification result.
IFAQ Allocation Calculation Methods
Two-Tier Remuneration Principle
The IFAQ allocation is calculated in two components:
• Remuneration based on the level achieved:When the indicator result falls between the minimum remuneration threshold and the quality target, a proportional share is paid according to the terms defined in Appendix 4
• Remuneration based on progress:When an indicator shows a calculable change, an additional share rewards the progress compared to the previous campaign (see Appendix 5)
Weighting Coefficients
Some indicators are underweighted to reflect their specific nature:
• Coefficient 0.25:Thromboembolic events and surgical site infections after prosthesis implantation (MCO)
• Coefficient 0.50:Data entry for the DMP (Digital Medical Record) and use of secure messaging (MCO, HAD, SMR, dialysis)
Schedule and Allocation Payment
The IFAQ allocation is paid through a monthly advance payment mechanism :
• At the beginning of the year: The fund to which the establishment belongs pays a monthly advance equal to 1/12th of the allocation amount for the previous year.
• After notification: The difference between the advances paid and the actual amount set for the current year is adjusted in subsequent monthly payments.
Strategies to optimize your IFAQ allocation
1. Identify your applicable indicators
The first step is to determine precisely which indicators apply to your establishment based on your activity and your collection thresholds. Only the indicators for which you are required to collect data are taken into account in the calculation of your allocation.
2. Prioritize high-impact indicators
Not all indicators are created equal. Focus your efforts on:
• Patient satisfaction indicators (e-Satis): full weighting and high reputational impact
• Indicators with calculable progress: double compensation possible (level + progress)
• Indicators close to the quality target: a small effort can generate a significant financial gain
3. Implement regular monitoring
Continuous improvement requires rigorous management. Organize quarterly monitoring committees, train your teams in best practices, and systematically analyze any gaps compared to targets.
4. Anticipate regulatory changes
The decree of August 5, 2025, introduces several new features (particularly regarding digital indicators and the integration of GCS). Stay informed of updates via the websites of the HAS, ATIH, and the Ministry of Health.
Conclusion: SafeTeam Academy support
Mastering IFAQ indicators represents a major financial challenge for healthcare facilities. Beyond the economic dimension, these indicators constitute a lever for continuous improvement in the quality and safety of care.
SafeTeam Academy supports healthcare facilities in optimizing their quality performance. Our training courses cover all IFAQ indicators, from patient satisfaction to the prevention of healthcare-associated infections, including care pathway coordination and the use of digital tools.
Our experts help you identify priority areas for improvement and implement effective action plans using feedback from healthcare professionals via video simulations and debriefings.
Official Resources
• French National Authority for Health (HAS): Descriptive sheets of quality indicators – https://www.has-sante.fr
• ATIH: IFAQ technical documentation – https://www.atih.sante.fr/ifaq
• Ministry of Health:HOP'EN platform for public results – https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/hopen
• Official Journal:Decree of August 5, 2025 (text 86 of August 7, 2025)
Keywords:IFAQ, quality allocation, health quality indicators, healthcare facilities, patient satisfaction, e-Satis, DMP (Digital Medical Record), secure health messaging, HAS certification, nosocomial infections, hip and knee replacement, HAD (Home Hospitalization), SMR (Service Médical Rendu - Medical Service Provided), psychiatry, outpatient surgery.
