[Echography at the point of care : stethoscope of the future for the General Practitioner ?].

Ultrasound is presently emerging not only as a specialist-delegated diagnostic procedure, but also as a tool used by clinicians for guiding decision. If this paradigm shift has taken roots in places like emergency departments, initiatives are also set up here and there in general practice. The aim of this article is , through a literature review, to identify possible indications of ultrasound performed by the general practitioner and to initiate a discussion about the obstacles and opportunities associated with its introduction in Belgian General Practice settings.

[Hospital and general therapeutic patient education practices: example of diabetes and obesity in Belgium].

Introduction/Objectives: Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) is now part of the new medical landscape, including for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and obesity. While some countries, such as France, have decided to give priority to TPE in public health policy by means of legal recognition, no such framework has been developed in Belgium. The purpose of this article is to describe the actual TPE practices of health professionals (HP) in this environment.