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.