Uncertainty in general practice: A bibliometric analysis.

StudyAustralian journal of general practice· Aug 2026

Wendy Hu, Celine Farkash, Boaz Shulruf … Michael Tran

Primary Care Access & TelehealthStudyQ2IF 1.2

General practice studies on uncertainty were more often empirical than other specialties'.

Wendy Hu … Michael Tran

Australian journal of general practice · Aug 2026 · Q2 in Family Medicine

Background

Uncertainty is often considered a defining feature of general practice, yet empirical comparisons across medical specialties are limited.

Purpose

This study investigates whether uncertainty is uniquely prevalent in general practice or a commonality of clinical work across medical disciplines.

Methods

A bibliometric analysis of 3757 articles from PubMed (1966-2025) was conducted.

n = 87

Results

empirical work was more common in general practice studies than others

General practice

67%

Non-general practice

61%

More results

A recent acceleration in non-general practice literature suggests growing interdisciplinary interest.

“

Conclusion

This has implications for medical education, professional identity and cross-specialty collaboration.