General practice-related MeSH terms in main journals: a bibliometric analysis from 2011 to 2021

Théo Duguet; Gladys Ibanez; Matthieu Schuers; Jean-Pierre Lebeau; Kristell Roser; Cécilia Saldanha Gomes; Jean-Sébastien Cadwallader

doi:10.3399/BJGP.2023.0060

General practice-related MeSH terms in main journals: a bibliometric analysis from 2011 to 2021

Br J Gen Pract. 2024 Jan 25;74(739):e120-e125. doi: 10.3399/BJGP.2023.0060. Print 2024 Feb.

Authors

Théo Duguet¹, Gladys Ibanez², Matthieu Schuers³, Jean-Pierre Lebeau⁴, Kristell Roser⁵, Cécilia Saldanha Gomes², Jean-Sébastien Cadwallader²

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Practice, Sorbonne University, Paris.
² Department of General Practice, Sorbonne University, Paris, and INSERM, Sorbonne University, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Paris.
³ Department of General Medicine, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen; Department of Biomedical Informatics, CHU Rouen, Rouen, and INSERM U 1142, LIMICS.
⁴ Department of General Practice, University of Tours, Tours.
⁵ Inter-University Health Library, Medicine-Odontology Center, Paris.

Abstract

Background: There are various Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms used to index general practice research, without consistency.

Aim: To understand how general practice-related research is indexed in the main general practice journals between 2011 and 2021, and to analyse the factors that influenced the choice of the general practice-related MeSH.

Design and setting: This was a quantitative bibliometric study conducted on MEDLINE.

Method: MeSH were selected according to the international definition of General Practice/Family Medicine: 'General Practice', 'Primary Health Care', 'Family Practice', 'General Practitioners', 'Physicians, Primary Care', and 'Physicians, Family'. Their use was studied from 2011 to 2021 on MEDLINE, reviewing the 20 general practice journals with the highest impact factors. A descriptive and analytical approach was used; the association of the country, journal, and year with the choice of general practice-related MeSH terms was analysed.

Results: A total of 8514 of 150 286 articles (5.7%) were using one of the general practice-related MeSH terms. The most used were 'Primary Health Care' (4648/9984, 46.6%) and 'General Practice' (2841/9984, 28.5%). A total of 80.0% (6172/7723) of the articles were related to the UK or US and 71.0% (6055/8514) of the articles came from four journals (BJGP, BMJ, Journal of General Internal Medicine, and Annals of Family Medicine). Two main country clusters emerged from the use of general practice-related MeSH: a British cluster mainly using 'General Practice' and an American cluster using 'Primary Health Care'. The journals also mainly differed in their used of these two MeSH terms.

Conclusion: Important variations in the indexation of general practice research were found. Researchers should consider combining 'Primary Health Care' and 'General Practice' in their PubMed searches to access all the general practice research, regardless of their country of origin.

Keywords: bibliometrics; family physicians, primary care; family practice; general practice; general practitioners; physicians, primary health care.

MeSH terms

Bibliometrics
Family Practice
Humans
Medical Subject Headings*
Periodicals as Topic*