Healthcare Divide: An Automated Tool for Measuring Healthcare Accessibility in France

Access to healthcare remains a major challenge across many French territories. This project develops an innovative automated tool to measure healthcare accessibility by combining geographical access, service availability, and the affordability of care.

By providing robust and up-to-date indicators, the project helps identify healthcare inequalities and supports evidence-based decision-making.

Mapping healthcare inequalities to improve access to care across France

Ensuring equitable access to healthcare is a critical challenge for public health systems. Significant disparities persist across French territories, affecting access to medical specialists, healthcare facilities, and affordable care services.

This project aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of healthcare accessibility throughout France, covering all medical specialties and all administrative levels, from regions and departments to municipalities and neighbourhoods (IRIS).

To achieve this objective, the project has developed an innovative technological framework combining a structured healthcare database, spatial analysis algorithms, and advanced statistical indicators. Together, these tools make it possible to measure, monitor, and compare healthcare accessibility over time and across territories.

A key contribution of the project is the visualisation and analysis of healthcare divides, highlighting areas where populations face greater barriers to accessing healthcare services.

The resulting data and indicators provide valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare organisations, local authorities, and private stakeholders. By improving the understanding of local healthcare needs and vulnerabilities, the project supports more effective health planning, resource allocation, and policy interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in access to care.

Learn more about the project