Key Points

• Electronic death certification has been mandatory in hospitals and medical-social facilities since June 2022.

• The regional adoption rate for electronic death certification (26% in October 2024) is among the lowest in mainland France (50% nationally).

• Action and support plan implemented by the Pays de la Loire Regional Health Agency (ARS) since 2023, notably including online training offered to healthcare professionals.

• Progress in connecting town halls to the system, with nearly 350 municipalities in the region connected, including 6 major urban areas, as of October 25, 2024.

• Progress in the regional deployment rate, reaching one in four deaths certified electronically in the third quarter of 2024 (vs. 13% in 2021), with improvements observed in Loire-Atlantique and Vendée in 2024. Sarthe remains the department with the highest deployment rate (37%).

• The majority of deaths certified electronically were recorded in healthcare facilities.

• The utility of these data for real-time monitoring of health events, as demonstrated during their first regional use during the COVID-19 pandemic or during the national pertussis epidemic in 2024.