Summary

Objective: To document the official recognition of a new specialty in health informatics in one European country, because a similar legal process may lead to professional equivalence for physicians in all member countries of the European Union and elsewhere. Method: In Belgium, a Ministerial Decree in 2001 estab-lished criteria for the certification of Physician Specialist in Health Data Management. Such recognition of a new competence is a natural complement to a University Mas-ter’s degree and can have a major influence on salary scale and on professional recognition and development in the public and private sectors. Results: Teaching and training programmes in Belgium were adapted to the terms of the Decree. Ninety-seven physicians were certified in the French community and 72 in the Flemish community between 2002 and 2009, with this title as a prerequisite for engagement in several official and private positions, and a salary increase. Discussion: In other countries, recognition of a specific competence in health informatics remains, at best, a vol-untary registration process and university programmes vary widely. The implications of this Decree, with recogni-tion of Physician Specialist in Health Data Management as a special competence rather than a medical speciality, are discussed. The extension of such recognition to health pro-fessions other than physicians is not yet contemplated. Conclusion: Although the title “Physician Specialist in Health Data Management ” may appear rather oldfash-ioned, recognition of this competence in a European Union country is a first step towards its extension to other coun-tries