title: [Territorial and social healthcare inequalities in France].
abstract: Geographic analyses of health-related issues have a long tradition in France, and have often consisted of observational studies conducted by practitioners themselves. Such geographic approaches were gradually abandoned during the 20th century as the pace of clinical progress increased. The few healthcare studies conducted by geographers have had little impact among the medical community. However, our studies show that geographic inequalities in health still persist. During the last 10 years or so, the social and economic crisis has dangerously accentuated health inequalities at every level In France, where equality is supposed to be the watchword of the entire healthcare system, this situation is particularly regrettable. Access to care decreases with distance from medical services. With the increasing urban and suburban concentration of the population, public healthcare policy must focus on finding solutions for people living in remote areas or too poor to access medical care. Geographic analyses of healthcare organization can help to make medical care available for all, especially those who need it most.
authors.affiliation: Université Montpellier III. emmanuel-vigneron@nft.fr
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vigneron
mesh_terms: D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005843:Geography; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors