Point of Care Ultrasound Use by General Practitioners in France (Echo-MG)

Sponsor

Sorbonne University (Other)

Overall Status

Not yet recruiting

CT.gov ID

NCT04583670

Collaborator

(none)

600

Enrollment

Location

Anticipated Duration (Months)

299.4

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

This study explores how Point of Care Ultrasound (POC-US) is used in general practice in France and how it affects the diagnostic process and treatment of patients.

General practitioners (GPs) will register information each time they use POC-US during a one month period.

The aim of this study is to describe the use of POCUS and its role in the diagnostic and therapeutic process in general medicine.

Description of the use of POCUS through indication, organs scanned, findings, frequency , time consumption.
Analysis of the role of POCUS in the diagnostic process: change of diagnostic hypotheses and change of certainty in the main diagnostic hypothesis.
Analysis of the role of POCUS in the therapeutic process: change in the care pathway and the therapeutic initial plan.

This is an observational study without any intervention.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Point of Care Ultrasound

Study Design

Study Type:

Observational

Anticipated Enrollment :

600 participants

Observational Model:

Cohort

Time Perspective:

Prospective

Official Title:

How Point-of-care Ultrasound Affects the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Process in General Practice. A Prospective Follow-up Study in France

Anticipated Study Start Date :

Sep 1, 2021

Anticipated Primary Completion Date :

Sep 1, 2021

Anticipated Study Completion Date :

Nov 1, 2021

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
30 general practitioners, who will use ultrasound during their consultations

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Change in the diagnostic [2021]
Before the use of POCUS: one main diagnostic hypothesis other diagnostic hypotheses After the use of POCUS, the GPs are asked if these diagnoses have changed and specify.
Change in confidence [2021-2022]
The GPs are asked to register any change in their confidence in the diagnostic hypothesis after the use of POCUS by choosing one of the following variables on an ordinal scale: increased confidence more confident unchanged confidence less confident reduced confidence
Change in the therapeutic plan for the patient [2021-2022]
Before using POC-US: acute admission to hospital subacute referral to hospital normal referral to hospital subacute referral to specialist normal referral to specialist referral for radiology other referral (e.g. to physiotherapist, etc) follow-up in the clinic no plan for follow-up other After using POC-US the GP is shown the "before POC-US plan for the patient" and asked if this plan has changed. If the plan has changed, the GP is asked to specify.
Change in the planned treatment [2021-2022]
The GPs register their planned treatment before POCUS by choosing one or more of the following categorical variables: medical treatment non-medical treatment no treatment other After using POCUS, the GP is shown the "before POC-US planned treatment for the patient" and asked if this planned treatment has changed. If the planned treatment has changed, the GP is asked to specify.

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

N/A and Older

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Inclusion Criteria:

minimum use of POCUS on two anatomical areas
GP activity for minimum two days / week
A minimum of two scanning probes
Previous participation in formal education in the use of POC-US
Minimum six-month experience with POCUS in general practice.
Estimated use of POCUS on a daily basis (average)

Exclusion Criteria:

Conflict of interest, e.g. if the GP is part of the research group or if the GP has/had direct financial interest in selling ultrasound devices.
If less than five patients have been enrolled