Evaluation of Ultra-portable Ultrasound in General Practice (EPEMedG)

This is an interventional multi-centre study comparing two groups of general practitioners with or without an ultrasound scanner over a period of 6 months. The evaluation focuses on the management of patients for 8 pathologies: Pneumonia Pleural effusion Renal colic Hepatic colic or cholecystitis Subcutaneous abscess or cyst Fracture of long bones Intra-uterine pregnancy or extra-uterine pregnancy or miscarriage Phlebitis The principal hypothesis is that there are fewer complementary exams in the group of doctors using ultrasound scanners. The secondary hypotheses are: There is better patient orientation (emergency care, specialist consultation, return home) in the group of doctors using the ultrasound scanners. The global cost of the care is lower in the group of doctors using the ultrasound. Using ultrasound during the consultation decreases the anxiety of the patient. Using ultrasound increases the duration of the consultation. There is no difference between the predicted and the real orientation of the patients.

Pneumonia, Pleural Effusion, Renal Colic, Hepatic Colic or Cholecystitis, Subcutaneous Abscess or Cyst, Fracture of Long Bones, Intra-uterine Pregnancy or Extra-uterine Pregnancy or Miscarriage, Phlebitis

The first group consists of nine general practitioners having received a brief training on the use of ultrasound scanners in general practice. The general practitioner includes all adult patients who are consulting for one of the 8 medical conditions studied and perform an ultrasound scan. Two weeks later, he/she calls each patient to collect the necessary data.

The second group consists of nine general practitioners. Each physician includes all adult patients who are consulting for one of the 8 medical conditions studied and performs a standard consultation. Two weeks later, he/she calls each patient to collect the necessary data.

Two weeks after the initial consultation, with or without ultrasound scanners, the general practitioners call their patients to know: The number of imagery exams they had (ultrasound, MRI, scanner, radiology…) The number of biological analysis (CRP, ASAT, ALAT, Lipase…)

Two weeks after the initial consultation, with or without ultrasound scanners, the general practitioners call their patients to know if within the past two weeks, they have been hospitalised, required emergency care, needed to consult a specialist, or returned back home

After knowing the patient orientation and the complementary exams they had, an estimation of the cost of care is made.

Two weeks after the initial consultation, with or without ultrasound scanners, the general practitioners call their patients to know the result of the anxiety test they took the day of the first consultation.

Inclusion Criteria: patients age 18 and over consulting their general practitioner for one of the 8 conditions below Exclusion Criteria: patients who have already received an imagery exam for the acute episode justifying the consult opposition to participate