Do I need French dossier médical partagé for children?

It is not obligatory, but it is useful, especially as doctors are expected in years to come to make more and more use of the DMP (dossier médical partagé).

Anyone who has a Carte Vitale in the French system has the right to create one for themselves or their minor children.

The DMP is now available nationwide and you can consult it via a site dmp.fr (by clicking on Mon DMP) or a DMP mobile phone app.

It is free and optional and only you and professionals to whom you give access may consult or add to it.

It can contain, for example, hospital and X-ray notes, blood tests, allergies, medical procedures undertaken and medicines prescribed.

The Cpam will add to it details of the last two years of reimbursements.

You can create one for your child online, in a pharmacy or at your Cpam offices.

The DMP can act as a life-long record of medical history – formerly in France each doctor just kept his or her own notes – and helps to track health conditions and allow different health professionals to easily access the information they need.

You can also add in useful information such as the child’s blood group, family contact details or a photo of relevant pages from the child’s carnet de santé, such as allergies, long-term illnesses or family medical history.

It can be especially useful to help keep track of the 20 obligatory health checks that children have to undergo up to age 16.