Lecture 11: Evidence Evaluation: Searching Literature Flashcards
(37 cards)
What are the types of information sources?
- Drug monographs/textbooks
- Evidence summaries
- Systematic reviews
- Guidelines
- Primary literature
What is a drug monograph?
Outline basic information about drugs (indications, administration, adverse effects, etc)
Sources include:
● CPS
● LexiComp (includes AHFS, Martindale)
● Stockley’s
● NatMed Pro (formerly Natural Medicines - for
supplements)
What are evidence summaries?
Several resources summarize available evidence in a
concise way. Great for background and exploring what
other literature exists on a general topic.
Ex.
- UpToDate
-DynaMed
-BMJ Best Practice
What is a systematic review?
Systematic reviews search for all relevant studies and
appraise them to answer a research question
What is a meta-analyses
Meta-analyses pool data from individual studies and perform statistical analyses on the combined results
What are guidelines?
Make recommendations on how to provide optimal care.
The strength of evidence found in guidelines varies. Some include a systematic review search, but many don’t. Many are published as journal articles, but some are only found
on organizations’ websites
- Good source: Trip Database
What is primary literature?
For many questions, you’ll need to search the primary journal literature to find a complete, specific, up to date answer.
What is the best place to search for primary literature?
The best place to search for primary literature is a specialized database such as Medline.
Before starting a literature search what kind of question should you develop?
PICO
- Among P does I compared with C affect O
P - PICO
Patient/population
I - PICO
Intervention/exposure
C - PICO
Comparator
O - PICO
Outcome
What does PICO help you identify
Main concepts to search in a database
Do PICO: An overweight, older male patient asks you if you think he
should ask his doctor about starting a statin. He’s heard they increase the risk of developing diabetes, which concerns him since he has a family history of diabetes
P = older men; overweight; family history of diabetes
I = statins (including individual drugs)
C = no statin
O = risk of developing diabetes vs benefit of reduced CV
risk
What are the most important parts to include in PICO
- P and I
or - I and O
What are the database search steps
- Search for one PICO concept at a time
- Combine synonyms for each PICO concept with OR
ex. statins or HMG CoA reductase
inhibitors - Combine different PICO concepts with AND. Use brackets to control order of operations:
(statins OR HMG CoA reductase
inhibitors) AND diabetes
What is Medline
The most commonly used database to search for medical journal literature.
How many journals does Medline include
About 5600
Who adds data to articles in Medline
Experts to make searching easier
What sources is Medline available
Through PubMed, Ovid, and other sources
Where is it easier to find useful MeSH terms? Ovid Medline or PubMed
In Ovid Medline than PubMed
Where is it simpler to search for articles on classes of drugs? Ovid Medline or PubMed
Ovid Medline
Where is it easier to do complex searches with multiple concepts?
Ovid Medline
