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

NCT04583670 | Completed Results DMC

• 1 other identifier: Echo-MG
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 655
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 17

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.

Conditions

Point of Care Ultrasound

Keywords

ultrasound; primary care; diagnostic; general practice; physical examination; family medicine

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Number of Patients With Change in the Diagnosis After POCUS Examination

  GPs will register their diagnoses before and after the use of POCUS and a change in diagnosis will be described * one main diagnostic hypothesis * other diagnostic hypotheses After the use of POCUS, the GPs are asked if these diagnoses have changed and specify.

  20 to 30 minute consultation

• Number of Patients With Change in Diagnostic Confidence

  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

  30 minutes

• Number of Patients With Change in the Referral Plan

  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.

  20 to 30 minute consultation

• Number of Patients With Change in the Planned Treatment

  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.

  20 to 30 minute consultation

Study Arms (1)

Patient physical examination with ultrasound

No intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

General practitioners practicing POCUS in rural or urban areas, alone or in groups with fixed or portable devices will be eligible.

You may qualify if:

• 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)

You may not qualify if:

• 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Agence Regionale de Sante d'Ile de France: collaborator
• Sorbonne University: lead
• Aalborg University: collaborator

Study Sites (17)

Cabinet de médecine générale

Le Pecq, France, 78230, France

Location

Centre Erdian SOS Médecins

Anglet, 64600, France

Location

Maison de santé

Avon, 77200, France

Location

Cabinet médical

Conches-en-Ouche, 27190, France

Location

Maison Médicale

Égly, 91520, France

Location

CMS Salvador Allende

La Courneuve, 93120, France

Location

Cabinet médical

Limay, 78520, France

Location

Cabinet médical

Mirabeau, 84120, France

Location

Cabinet IPSO

Paris, 75011, France

Location

Cabinet médical

Paris, 75020, France

Location

Maison médicale

Pont-Croix, 29790, France

Location

Cabinet médical

Saint-Etienne, 42000, France

Location

Cabinet médical

Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, 33160, France

Location

Maison médicale

Saint-Nom-la-Bretêche, 78860, France

Location

Cabinet médical

Strasbourg, 67100, France

Location

Cabinet médical Le Vallet

Vallet, 44330, France

Location

SOS médecins

Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, 54500, France

Location

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Disease

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Mariela Skendi Study Coordinator
• Organization: General Practice Department Sorbonne University

marielaskendi@gmail.com

0033613930736

Study Officials

• Mariela Skendi, MD, MSc

  General Practice Department Sorbonne University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Roxane Liard

  General Practice Department Sorbonne University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Head of General Medicine Department

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 5, 2020
• First Posted: October 12, 2020
• Study Start: January 15, 2023
• Primary Completion: July 15, 2024
• Study Completion: July 15, 2024
• Last Updated: January 20, 2026
• Results First Posted: January 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: 2025
• Access Criteria: The data are only available for collaborating researchers at the Center for General Practice, University of Aalborg, Denmark. The principal investigator will have access to pseudo-anonymized data registered on the online platform.

Locations

FR (17)