Future Research in General Medicine Has Diverse Topics and is Highly Promising: Opinions Based on a Questionnaire Survey

Abstract

In Japan, general medicine is still relatively new as a specialty, having been established in 2018 as the 19th primary specialty. The relevant research field has therefore not been fully established yet, and the detailed research areas in this field have not been identified. We conducted a descriptive questionnaire-based web survey of members of the Japanese Society of Hospital General Medicine. Respondents were asked to highlight their research topics from the following categories: diagnostic excellence, design (problem-solving and thinking methodology), symptomatology, physical examination, clinical epidemiology, home and community medicine, general medicine education, organizational management, hospital administration, and “none of the above (add description of your work if desired)”. The respondents could choose multiple topics. There were 276 respondents (14% response rate), of whom 240 (86.9%) were male, 103 (37.3%) worked at universities, and 232 (84.1%) had previous research experience. Diagnostic excellence was the most common research topic category among generalists (n=87, 21.3%), followed by clinical epidemiology (n=83, 20.3%), symptomatology (n=41, 10.0%), home and community medicine (n=39, 9.6%), and general medicine education (n=36, 8.8%). Seventy-eight respondents (19.1%) chose “none of the above (add description of your work if desired)”. The main research topics were in areas fundamental to diagnostic excellence, ie, diagnostics, diagnostic error, clinical epidemiology, and symptomatology. Home and community medicine and general medicine education were also included as research topics because of their diverse roles. The research interests of generalists are therefore diverse, and new areas and frameworks are likely to be created in the future.

Comparing Japanese University Hospitals’ and Community Healthcare Facilities’ Research Contributions on PubMed

“… 4 , 13 , 18 , 31–34 Based on the fundamental principle of patient-centeredness, GMP is an inherently interesting area for research and one that will continue to develop in Japan. 13 , 35 Although the study confirms the reality and characteristics of the current situation, further research is necessary on how to develop this research field and foster academic generalists who will be active at UHs as well as CHFs. 36 …”

Five strategies on writing research papers for beginners and young general medicine doctors

“…In addition, GMs have a high affinity for descriptive research because they have conducted several studies on diagnosis and epidemiology. 4 In our experience, we recommend that beginners start with descriptive studies.…”

How Do We Establish the Utility and Evidence of General Medicine in Japan?

“…Moreover, clinical research topics are scattered, including research papers encompassing case reports with valuable lessons, diagnostic excellence, healthcare safety, healthcare management, and disaster preparedness. 26 Efforts to enhance the utility and evidence of GM in universities include multiple studies conducted by academic institutions. Research accomplishments, 27 investigations into research topics, 28 and studies on educational achievements have been undertaken, 24 , 29 , 30 yet research in this field remains relatively limited.…”

“…preparedness. 26 Efforts to enhance the utility and evidence of GM in universities include multiple studies conducted by academic institutions. Research accomplishments, 27 investigations into research topics, 28 and studies on educational achievements have been undertaken, 24,29,30 yet research in this field remains relatively limited.…”