[Role of regional health observation posts: structure, operation, actions]

The ORS were established at the beginning of 1980's to improve and to promote health informations to help decision makers. The ORS are non-profit making institutions supported by Health Ministry and local authorities. They also conclude contracts with private or public partners. A national federation exist since 1988. The ORS use a lot of scientific technics but have the constant preoccupation to adapt their communication for decision makers and non specialised public. From 1989 to 1994, more than 900 works have been published on a large variety of topics. In 1994, all of the ORS produced a "regional dashboard on health" according to a pattern elaborated by their national federation. In each region, these documents present most of the available indicators on health and social reality. So, the ORS associate local and national points of view.