Étude comparative des theses de médecine générale soutenues à la faculté de médecine d'Angers de 1997 à 1999 et de 2007 à 2009.

Context: Family practice is changing dramatically and especially in the educational field. The purpose of this study is to assess the evolution of practical dissertations in primary care submitted at the teaching hospital in Angers between two periods with a ten-year interval (1997-99 and 2007-09). Material and methods: In a retrospective and comparative study, information was collected on students, thesis directors and jury, dissertation form (type of study, methods for collecting data, number of pages, article form), contents (topic and thematic trends) as well as eventual publications in scientific journals. Results: A statistically significant increase was observed in the number of general practitioners acting as thesis directors between period 1 and 2: 9% to 46% (p < 0,001). Family-practice dissertations accounted for 23% in period 1 and 58% in period 2 (p < 0,001). The study also indicates a decrease in clinical case reports based on data collected from case files as opposed to best practice studies carried out through questionnaires and interviews. Dissertations were published as scientific papers in 51% of cases in period 2 and 4% in period 1 (p < 0.001). Publications listed in Medline total 6.3% in period 1 and 14% in period 2 (p = 0.04). Conclusion: The study highlights major changes in practical theses in primary care both in terms of form and subject with research reflecting the comprehensive aspect of primary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]