How do physicians choose where to practice?

Summary Using an exhaustive database, restricted to general practitioners working in private practice between 2005 and 2011, this article studies the determinants of their choice of location within a region, distinguishing four zones: suburban, central city, isolated city, and rural. While individual variables have relatively little influence on the choice of a zone, the characteristics of the local supply and demand for care, the tax exemptions that may be offered and the facilities available in each zone significantly explain their choice. These results are used to simulate the impact of three measures aimed at increasing the number of GPs setting up in rural areas.