It is thanks to the fruitful interdisciplinary collaboration between geographers Aliz Hevesi and Catherine Linard, computer scientist Nicolas Matton, and Dr. Dominique Henrion that we have an online map presenting a new rurality index at the sub-municipal level, specific to Wallonia, which combines population density, urban typology, and travel time to centers of activity. This interactive map aims to improve the planning of healthcare services in rural areas and to guide future general practitioners in their choice of practice location. This new tool has already been featured in the specialized press with a view to making it available to professionals. Published as open source, it is accessible free of charge. 

Contact person: Professor Catherine Linard - catherine.linard@unamur.be

Sociologist Amélie Pierre conducted a survey of a panel of 5,000 Belgian patients, brought together as part of the inter-university initiative The Social Study. This survey examines whether or not patients perceive difficulties in accessing general practitioners. The study will attempt to identify any geographical variations in this perception and will characterize the different types of difficulties experienced (is it a matter of distance, travel time, or other factors?), notably by comparing the responses provided by respondents living in urban and rural areas. Additional interviews are being conducted with focus groups of patients living in the provinces of Namur and Luxembourg.

Contact person: Professor Amélie Pierre - amelie.pierre@unamur.be

Launched in October 2025, this research project examines, from a multifactorial perspective, the shortage of general practitioners in rural areas, particularly in the province of Namur. It aims to understand the evolution and transformations of the general practitioner profession in rural areas, develop an index of attractiveness for practice locations among young doctors, and understand the perceived barriers to healthcare accessibility for patients in rural areas. This project is funded through a partnership with the Christian Mutuality. The research is led by sociologist Romane Lecharlier, under the supervision of Professors Catherine Linard and Amélie Pierre. 

The project is structured around three complementary phases. The first phase focuses on studying the evolution of the general practice profession in rural areas. This qualitative phase includes interviews with general practitioners to understand the transformations in the profession and identify the factors influencing the attractiveness of rural areas. An analysis of the factors influencing the attractiveness of practice locations for young doctors will then be conducted. An attractiveness index will be refined and implemented in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to assess locations conducive to the establishment of young practitioners. Finally, the project will examine patients’ perceptions of the barriers or factors promoting access to care. The project is unique in that it takes into account the perspectives of both patients and healthcare providers to provide a 360-degree overview of the issue of the scarcity of general practice services, particularly in rural areas. 

Contact person: PhD candidate Romane Lecharlier - romane.lecharlier@unamur.be