Summary of the COGITA spring meetings 2014 in Barcelona

Thursday, June 19th, 2014

The main result of the spring meeting in Barcelona is that an international feasibility study on the gut feelings questionnaire (GFQ) in general practice will be started in France, Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands, and possibly also in the UK. The proposal for a research protocol will shortly be adjusted. Another major result was the contributions by medical students and trainee general practitioners to the research programme, which marked a significant milestone in the history of the COGITA network.

We also discussed the preliminary results of the research into the diagnostic reasoning of hospital-based specialists, based on a review of the literature and two focus groups. The preliminary results of a study into the role of feedback and gut feelings in the in-service training of diagnostic reasoning in general practice traineeships were presented. We also commented on the design of an experimental study of diagnostic reasoning by experienced and novice general practitioners using case vignettes, think-aloud protocols and the GFQ, and discussed the design of a French study into the relation between chest pain, gut feelings and the eventual diagnosis. We also agreed about amendments to the Glossary. A proposal to hold the next meeting in Marburg and to meet with the Clinical Decision Making Network of Clinical Psychologists (CDM) for a day was accepted. A French GP trainee was given feedback on his research proposal for a better definition of the concept of gut feelings at the hospital.

The next meeting will be in Marburg (Germany): Thursday 26th March 2015.