Equity of accessibility to dialysis facilities.

Patients' end-stage renal disease (ESRD) characteristics are changing. Improving the quality of care requires a steady adaptation of treatment modalities together with equity of access to dialysis facilities. We explored the ability of the health system to cope with the demand of ESRD care. An analysis of a 5-year follow-up cohort of ESRD patients in the Limousin region, France, was performed. Data were entered in the Multi-Source Information System of the Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN). The participation rate of centres was complete. We analysed patient characteristics, therapeutic options and driving time to reach dialysis facilities. We investigated geographic accessibility by defining areas within 45 minutes from dialysis units. We constructed scenarios to assess the impact of health care reorganization. In-centre haemodialysis units represented 73% of treatment modalities. One quarter of patients lived at more than 45 minutes of their dialysis unit. Based on a scenario of creating an additional In-centre unit, the number of patients living far from their centre would decrease by 31%. This study emphasizes important issues related to ESRD epidemiology, comorbidity and health care planning. It stimulates the development of new scenarios allowing the assessment of equity in accessing health care facilities.