[Use of medical and administrative databases to measure social health inequalities].

Objective: The ability to measure social health inequalities is a prerequisite to the implementation of local policies designed to reduce such inequalities. The absence of individual socioeconomic data in medical and administrative databases does not allow direct evaluation of those inequalities. The objective of this study is to propose a method of measurement of social health inequalities from national health insurance databases and a validated deprivation index.

[The treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in practice].

Aim: The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) based on current guidelines.

Methods: A study was conducted on a sample of French AMD patients covered by the RSI (public health insurance for self-employed workers), who received a first reimbursement in 2008 for treatments including verteporfin (Visudyne®), pegaptanib (Macugen®) and/or ranibizumab (Lucentis®). Data were collected retrospectively from the ophthalmologist by the medical adviser.