Trial Outcomes & Findings for Point of Care Ultrasound Use by General Practitioners in France (Echo-MG) (NCT NCT04583670)

Results Overview

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.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Target enrollment

655 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

20 to 30 minute consultation

Results posted on

2026-01-20

Participant Flow

GPs were recruited as investigators. Investigators had to include patients undergoing POCUS in the study.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure	Patients With Physical Examination Before and After Ultrasound Patients were recruited by GPs (investigators) There was no intervention in this group.
Overall Study STARTED	655
Overall Study COMPLETED	655
Overall Study NOT COMPLETED	0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Race and Ethnicity were not collected from any participant.

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure	Physical Examination With Ultrasound n=655 Participants This group included patients that were examined by GPs and had a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) during the consultation. There was no intervention in this group. The GPs used POCUS during their consultations as routine practice.
Age, Continuous	46 years n=655 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Female	412 Participants n=655 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Male	243 Participants n=655 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 20 to 30 minute consultation

Population: In the final analytic cohort of 655 patients, a time-log of more than 60 sec before and after POCUS was registered for 577 patients.

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.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Physical Examination of Patients With Ultrasound n=577 Participants This group included patients that were examined by GPs and had a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) during the consultation. There was no intervention in this group. The GPs used POCUS during their consultations as routine practice. Patients with a time-log of more than 60 sec before and after POCUS were included in the before-after comparison.
Number of Patients With Change in the Diagnosis After POCUS Examination	397 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 30 minutes

Population: In the final cohort of 655 patients a time-log of more than 60 sec before and after POCUS was registered for 577 patients.

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

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Physical Examination of Patients With Ultrasound n=577 Participants This group included patients that were examined by GPs and had a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) during the consultation. There was no intervention in this group. The GPs used POCUS during their consultations as routine practice. Patients with a time-log of more than 60 sec before and after POCUS were included in the before-after comparison.
Number of Patients With Change in Diagnostic Confidence	552 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 20 to 30 minute consultation

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.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Physical Examination of Patients With Ultrasound n=577 Participants This group included patients that were examined by GPs and had a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) during the consultation. There was no intervention in this group. The GPs used POCUS during their consultations as routine practice. Patients with a time-log of more than 60 sec before and after POCUS were included in the before-after comparison.
Number of Patients With Change in the Referral Plan	363 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 20 to 30 minute consultation

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.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Physical Examination of Patients With Ultrasound n=577 Participants This group included patients that were examined by GPs and had a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) during the consultation. There was no intervention in this group. The GPs used POCUS during their consultations as routine practice. Patients with a time-log of more than 60 sec before and after POCUS were included in the before-after comparison.
Number of Patients With Change in the Planned Treatment	215 Participants

Adverse Events

Patient Physical Examination With Ultrasound

Serious events: 0 serious events

Other events: 0 other events

Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Mariela Skendi Study Coordinator

General Practice Department Sorbonne University

Phone: 0033613930736

Email: [email protected]

Results disclosure agreements

Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
Publication restrictions are in place