[The regionalization of health: an opportunity for health democracy?].

Health democracy in France has consisted in recognizing individual and collective rights attributed to users of the health system and in making decision-making procedures in health more contradictory. However, this movement has encountered a number of obstacles and barriers since the adoption of the law of March 4, 2002. Seven years later, the recent Act of July 21, 2009, aims to renovate a more vigorous health democracy, including restoring regional conferences on health and governance with the autonomous powers that were conferred to them in the 2002 Act. However, nothing is yet secured; vigilance is essential and should remain high on the agenda.