title: [Bibliometric analysis of International Scientific production on primary care].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present an international view of the scientific production in the field of primary care in the period 1985-2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, observational study. Bibliometric analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline database. WebSPIRS access through version 4.3. We analysed two periods: 2000-2004 (cross-sectional) and 1985-2004 (developmental). Search based on "MeSH Major" with descriptors: Primary Care or Primary Health Care, Family Practice, Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Entry Terms associated with these.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed the bibliometric indicators of production, circulation, dispersion, and visibility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2000-2004, published 20911 articles were published, 0.73% of total production. There was a growth rate (1985-2004) of 221%, which was 2.4 times more than average. Transience rate was 83.17%. The English language is predominant (88.81%) over 34 languages, with Spanish being the next (2.6%). Sixteen countries produce 95.67% of the articles. Spain occupies the 7th place. Universities (52%) are the most productive institutions. There are 1074 different journals with the 10 most productive being: Br J Gen Pract, Adv Nurse Pract, Aust Fam Physician, Fam Pract, Fam Med, BMJ, Aten Primary Health Serv J, Can Fam Physician, J Fam Pract. The proportion of trials (5.43%) in PC is similar to other disciplines and has increased by 453% (1985-2004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The production of Primary care is about 1% of the total scientific output, with a noticeable and higher than average growth over 20 years. The proportion of clinical trials is similar to other disciplines. Although Anglo-Saxon countries and journals are the highest producers, Spain and the journal Aten Primaria is among those highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Cátedra de Medicina de Familia, Universidad Miguel Hernández, San Juan, Alicante, España. atencion.primaria@umh.es
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Carratalá-Munuera
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Orozco-Beltrán
authors.forename: V F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Gil-Guillen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Navarro-Perez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quirce
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merino
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Basora
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D038622:Internationality; D007802:Language; D016239:MEDLINE / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends