Characteristics of the research papers presented at the National Medical Congresses of Honduras, 2007-2017

Abstract

Background: Honduran medical college annually celebrates its national congress in which research papers are presented. However, we do not know the characteristics of such investigations. Our objective was to identify and analyze bibliometric characteristics of abstracts of research papers and clinical cases presented at national medical congresses between 2007-2017. Methods: Descriptive and transversal study. The abstracts of the research papers and case reports were evaluated and classified according to the year of the congress. The descriptive analysis was performed with the SPSS v.22 program, of the categorical variables using absolute and relative frequencies. Numerical variables were previously evaluated with normality assumptions, using the Kolmogórov-Smirnov statistical test, according to which the mean, standard deviation, median and interquartile range were described. Considering p> 0.05 as significant for normality of the qualitative variables, with a Confidence Interval of the statistical means of 95%. Results: Of the 278 investigations analyzed, 46% were research studies, of which 32.7% were descriptive, 4.0% were transversal, 2.9% were cases / controls and 0.7% were multicentric studies. We observed that in 2007 the research papers had at least one author and maximum 9, mean of 4.30, standard deviation 2.17, we see the behavior towards normality (p = 0.111). Conclusions / Recommendations: The frequency of research remains very low. This is mainly due to a lack of research interest and support from undergraduate students, impacting on professional life; we see these difficulties at the moment of wanting to carry out an investigation, these weaknesses should be taken into account by university institutions.