Predicting and controlling trends for rational nationwide distribution of healthcare services

The uneven geographic distribution of healthcare services in France is an increasingly important problem. Commission XVI of the National Academy of Medicine had updated its previous reports on this subject, focusing on general practitioners, who form the backbone of the French healthcare system. The Commission calls for a more precise estimate of medical demographics, and particularly for regular prospective studies that take into account the increasing feminization of the medical profession. To permit rational adjustment of yearly medical school intake, prospective surveys must look at least 10 years in advance. Coercive measures must be abandoned in favor of incitements to relocate. For example, the obligation placed on newly graduated GPs to spend their last two years of training in medically underserved regions can only encourage them to settle in local practices.