We often talk about the initiatives of our first-year students, but those of our residents are just as exciting! This is certainly true of the projects recently undertaken by our general practice residents. As part of their thesis work, six residents have developed innovative websites designed for their peers and practicing healthcare professionals. To learn more about this work, we spoke with Dr. Marie-Catherine REBOUL, associate professor in the University Department of General Medicine (DUMG) and thesis advisor to these residents.
Projects that originated from capstone thesis projects in general practice
After six years of study, our medical students become residents. They are then required to choose a specialty based on their exam results and personal interests. In Montpellier, General Practice is the most popular choice, with nearly 150 new residents each year, all of whom are part of our University Department of General Practice.
To earn their medical degree, residents must, among other requirements, submit a thesis at the conclusion of nearly nine years of study. It was as part of this thesis that Dr. Marie-Catherine REBOUL, several years ago, launched this innovative project with the residents she supervises: the creation of a suite of websites designed for healthcare professionals.
Websites designed based on the scientific method
“This is a project I wanted to ground in a scientific approach,” she says. “Interns volunteering for these projects must therefore conduct a comprehensive literature review prior to the creation of the website.” The data is thus collected, sorted, classified, and finally referenced before being processed in the form of a research question approved by the thesis advisor.
The research question sets the tone for the website: it defines its overall theme and, by extension, its primary objective. “This can encompass various areas, such as diagnostic assistance and screening, the sharing of best practices, the sharing of treatment advice, the sharing of practical guides, and assistance with prescribing,” explains Dr. Reboul.
That brings the total to six websites launched since 2020!
Dermatokid.com, created by Estelle Renart: a website designed to assist in the diagnosis of skin conditions in children aged 0 to 6.
Children who frequently experience skin rashes can present diagnostic challenges for general practitioners. The Dermatokid website provides a diagnostic tool featuring numerous illustrations of skin symptoms commonly observed in children.
- URL: https://dermatokid.com/
- Target audience: residents, general practitioners
- Purpose: Diagnostic aid
- Highlights: the numerous illustrations, the concise practical guides, and the emergency section
- Quality assurance: The website was developed in accordance with the Hodge Sandvik criteria and is listed on the KitMédical website, which features high-quality websites. Regular updates are planned.
- Poster: Download
Depistoeil.com, created by Tibère de Villiers: a website providing support for screening in ophthalmology and primary care
General practitioners rarely have to screen for eye conditions. A lack of equipment or training can make this challenging for them. By providing a screening protocol and practical tools for screening common eye conditions in the office based on the patient’s age, the website offers valuable support to practitioners.
- URL: https://www.depistoeil.com/
- Target audience: General practitioners
- Objective: Screening assistance
- Pros: Screening guidance tailored to the patient’s age or medical condition; Tools available for use in the clinic
- Quality assurance: The website has been reviewed by 27 general practitioners and 2 ophthalmologists. It was developed based on the quality criteria of the Netscoring and Hodge-Sandvik scales.
- Poster: Download
Kineclic.fr, created by Thomas Bonnin: a tool to help understand and prescribe physical therapy treatments
General practitioners rarely communicate with physical therapists. They have little training in physical therapy practices. The Kineclic website helps them better understand physical therapy care and, as a result, improve their practices regarding the referral of such care.
- URL: https://www.kineclic.fr/
- Target audience: General practitioners and all healthcare professionals who prescribe physical therapy
- Objective: To aid in understanding and prescribing
- Pros: review of the basics of physical therapy, review of clinical examinations (videos)
- Quality assurance: The website has been reviewed by general practitioners and approved by experienced physical therapists. Regular updates are planned.
- Poster: Download
Gestrapratique.fr, created by Manon Hériat: a website designed to help general practitioners address common concerns of pregnant women
Pregnant women may need to have part of their prenatal care provided by their primary care physician. The Gestapratique website helps doctors answer their questions.
- URL: https://gestapratique.fr/
- Target audience: Residents, General Practitioners, Midwives
- Objective: To answer common questions about the daily life of a pregnant woman
- Pros: advice on daily life, practical guides for patients available for download
- A seal of quality: The site has been tested by 30 general practitioners. 83% of them find the site useful. Regular updates are planned.
- Poster: Download
Declic-ecrans.com, created by Gauthier Duret: a database of fact sheets on preventing screen misuse among young children
A major social issue, screen time for young children raises questions among new parents. This website compiles all best practices on the subject into concise fact sheets that are easily accessible to both doctors and patients.
- URL: https://www.declic-ecrans.com/
- Target audience: Residents, General Practitioners, Midwives, Parents
- Goal: To answer frequently asked questions from new parents
- Pros: Printable worksheets
- A guarantee of quality: fact sheets developed based on two literature reviews, input from 650 parent testers, and 450 healthcare professional testers. The site is listed on KitMédical, a directory of high-quality websites. Regular updates are planned.
- Poster: Download
Kidprotect.fr, created by Maud Bettenfeld: a website dedicated to preventing, identifying, and addressing child abuse and situations that put children at risk
The website helps doctors and other professionals in the early childhood sector improve their understanding of the risk factors, signs, and symptoms of child abuse, as well as how to address it. With this increased knowledge, professionals are better equipped to identify and prevent child abuse.
- URL: https://kidprotect.fr/
- Target audience: General practitioners, early childhood professionals
- Objective: To share best practices regarding how to handle consultations when abuse is suspected; a practical guide on how to initiate a procedure (reporting concerns, filing a report)
- Pros: Advice on how to conduct yourself during a consultation, easy navigation by topic, resources organized by region
- A mark of quality: The site is listed on KitMédical, a directory of high-quality websites
- Poster: to be published in 2023 as part of a scientific conference.
An initiative featured in *Le Quotidien du Médecin*!
While these websites have been a resounding success since their launch (some sites are currently receiving over 60,000 visits per year as we write this), the scientific rigor with which they were designed has attracted media attention. As a result, the journal *Le Quotidien du Médecin* has highlighted the Dermatokid and Declics-Ecrans websites!
New projects currently in the planning stages
Following the success of these first six projects, Dr. Marie-Catherine Reboul would like to repeat the experience with new residents, focusing on new topics: “I’m thinking of topics such as depression and mental health, as well as sleep disorders.” So, current or future general practice residents, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Reboul if these projects interest you!
