There are several levels of requirements for a module’s integration into the Hospital Information System. 

The main requirements set out by the referential are: 

• Interfacing, control, security guidelines; 
• Prescription process requirements; 
• National prescription thesaurus integration requirements; 
• Requirements regarding medico-economic and decision processes; 
• Guidelines for ergonomics, functions, and notification alerts; 
• Settings function requirements. 

In total, 139 requirements are used to reach the minimal level of security needed for a solution’s integration into the hospital information system.

The current referential (2017) was written with industry experts. It introduces the particular context of this mission and the goals to reach in order to improve safety measures in neonatology and paediatric reanimation. The referential walks you through the fundamental concepts you need to grasp to understand the several requirements and protocols involved with software development for this sector.

Neonatology is a high-risk practice for two main reasons:

• The patients are extremely fragile (premature babies) 
• 50% of the drugs used in the sector have yet to receive a marketing authorisation.

A survey conducted in 2014 evidenced a risk in the prescription process across the sector. The digitalisation of prescription is among the 41 recommendations that the report issued in order to increase safety levels.