Optimize your funding using mandatory indicators

The decree of August 5, 2025, significantly changes the methods used to calculate the IFAQ (Financial Incentive for Quality Improvement) allocation. For healthcare facilities, understanding these indicators is now essential to optimizing their funding and ensuring that their efforts to improve the quality and safety of care are recognized. In this article, SafeTeam Academy outlines all the mandatory indicators and strategies for maximizing your quality allocation.

What is the IFAQ allocation?

The IFAQ allocation is a supplementary financial package provided to healthcare facilities based on their performance on quality and safety of care indicators.

Established under Article L. 162-23-15 of the Social Security Code, it recognizes facilities that meet or exceed the quality standards set by 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 used to calculate the IFAQ allocation are divided into five main thematic categories:

1. Quality of Care as Perceived by Patients

This category evaluates patient satisfaction and experience using three key indicators:

•Patient satisfaction among those hospitalized for more than 48 hours in MCO – Quality target: 77.3/100. Applies to facilities with at least 500 target patients (and where less than 75% of the population is over the age of 75)

• Patient satisfaction with outpatient surgery – Quality target: 79.7/100. Same thresholds for mandatory data collection

• Patient satisfaction in inpatient rehabilitation facilities – Quality target: 76.6/100. Applies to medical and rehabilitation facilities with at least 500 target patients

💡Key point:These e-Satis-type indicators are fully factored into 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 broken down 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 following total knee and hip replacement (threshold: at least 10 target stays). These indicators are given a weighting of 0.25.

⚠️ Warning:The indicators for thromboembolic events and surgical site infections are calculated using 2023 PMSI data and are underweighted (coefficient 0.25). Their impact on the IFAQ is therefore lower.

3. Quality of Care Coordination

These indicators assess the smooth flow of the patient pathway and the exchange of information:

•Shared Medical Record (DMP) Data Upload:Mandatory for all sectors (acute care, home care, 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 are subject to a special provision. Each eligible facility is awarded the maximum score, and the quality target is automatically considered met. As a result, payment is automatically 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:Care Coordination (target: 80/100, at least 31 target stays)

4. Performance of the healthcare system

This category includes only one indicator specific to psychiatry: the measurement of full-time long-term hospitalizations in voluntary care. Calculated using RIM-P data from 2023, it applies to facilities with at least 100 eligible stays and follows a specific calculation method 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 healthcare-associated infections is evaluated by:

• Best practices for additional contact precautions:In acute care, target: 80%, for at least 10 patient stays

• Measurement of surgical site infections:After total hip and knee replacement (threshold: 10 hospital stays). Weighted with a coefficient of 0.25

Certification: the mandatory cross-cutting indicator

The certification level (v2014 or newer 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 most recent available certification result.

IFAQ Allowance Calculation Methods

Two-Tier Compensation Principle

The IFAQ allocation is calculated based on two components:

• Compensation based on performance level: When the indicator result falls between the minimum compensation threshold and the quality target, a proportional share is paid in accordance with the terms set forth in Appendix 4

• Remuneration based on progress: When an indicator shows a measurable change, an additional share is awarded to reflect the progress made compared to the previous campaign (see Appendix 5)

Weighting Coefficients

Some indicators are given less weight to reflect their specific nature:

• Coefficient 0.25:Thromboembolic events and surgical site infections following 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 Payment Allocation

The IFAQ allocation is paid through a monthly advance payment system:

• At the beginning of the year: The fund to which the institution belongs pays a monthly advance equal to 1/12th of the previous year’s allocation.

• After notification: The difference between the advances paid and the actual amount set for the current year is adjusted in subsequent monthly payments.

Strategies for optimizing your IFAQ allocation

1. Identify the relevant indicators

The first step is to determine exactly which indicators apply to your facility based on your activities and your reporting thresholds. Only the indicators for which you are required to collect data are taken into account when calculating 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 significant impact on reputation

• Indicators with measurable progress: double compensation possible (level + progress)

• Indicators close to the quality target: a small effort can yield significant financial gains

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 provisions (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 poses a significant financial challenge for healthcare facilities. Beyond the economic aspect, these indicators serve as a tool for continuous improvement in the quality and safety of care.

SafeTeam Academy helps healthcare facilities optimize 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 based on feedback from healthcare professionals gathered through 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.