scholarly journals Errors in search strategies used in systematic reviews and their effects on information retrieval

2019 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Antonio Salvador-Oliván ◽  
Gonzalo Marco-Cuenca ◽  
Rosario Arquero-Avilés
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Pubmed Search ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Mesh Database ◽  
Controlled Language

Objectives: Errors in search strategies negatively affect the quality and validity of systematic reviews. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate searches performed in MEDLINE/PubMed to identify errors and determine their effects on information retrieval.Methods: A PubMed search was conducted using the systematic review filter to identify articles that were published in January of 2018. Systematic reviews or meta-analyses were selected from a systematic search for literature containing reproducible and explicit search strategies in MEDLINE/PubMed. Data were extracted from these studies related to ten types of errors and to the terms and phrases search modes.Results: The study included 137 systematic reviews in which the number of search strategies containing some type of error was very high (92.7%). Errors that affected recall were the most frequent (78.1%), and the most common search errors involved missing terms in both natural language and controlled language and those related to Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) search terms and the non-retrieval of their more specific terms.Conclusions: To improve the quality of searches and avoid errors, it is essential to plan the search strategy carefully, which includes consulting the MeSH database to identify the concepts and choose all appropriate terms, both descriptors and synonyms, and combining search techniques in the free-text and controlled-language fields, truncating the terms appropriately to retrieve all their variants.

scholarly journals A systematic approach to searching: an efficient and complete method to develop literature searches

2018 ◽  
Vol 106 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wichor M. Bramer ◽  
Gerdien B. De Jonge ◽  
Melissa L. Rethlefsen ◽  
Frans Mast ◽  
Jos Kleijnen
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Optimization Technique ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
Biomedical Literature ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Text Document ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Free Text Search

Creating search strategies for systematic reviews, finding the best balance between sensitivity and specificity, and translating search strategies between databases is challenging. Several methods describe standards for systematic search strategies, but a consistent approach for creating an exhaustive search strategy has not yet been fully described in enough detail to be fully replicable. The authors have established a method that describes step by step the process of developing a systematic search strategy as needed in the systematic review. This method describes how single-line search strategies can be prepared in a text document by typing search syntax (such as field codes, parentheses, and Boolean operators) before copying and pasting search terms (keywords and free-text synonyms) that are found in the thesaurus. To help ensure term completeness, we developed a novel optimization technique that is mainly based on comparing the results retrieved by thesaurus terms with those retrieved by the free-text search words to identify potentially relevant candidate search terms. Macros in Microsoft Word have been developed to convert syntaxes between databases and interfaces almost automatically. This method helps information specialists in developing librarian-mediated searches for systematic reviews as well as medical and health care practitioners who are searching for evidence to answer clinical questions. The described method can be used to create complex and comprehensive search strategies for different databases and interfaces, such as those that are needed when searching for relevant references for systematic reviews, and will assist both information specialists and practitioners when they are searching the biomedical literature.

scholarly journals Tackling Research Inefficiency in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Illustrative Review (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danyal Zaman Khan ◽  
Muhammad Shuaib Khan ◽  
Mark RN Kotter ◽  
Benjamin Marshall Davies
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Cervical Myelopathy ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Research Synthesis ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Pubmed Search ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

BACKGROUND Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is widely accepted as the most common cause of adult myelopathy worldwide. Despite this, there is no specific term or diagnostic criteria in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision and no Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) or an equivalent in common literature databases. This makes searching the literature and thus conducting systematic reviews or meta-analyses imprecise and inefficient. Efficient research synthesis is integral to delivering evidence-based medicine and improving research efficiency. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to illustrate the difficulties encountered when attempting to carry out a comprehensive and accurate evidence search in the field of DCM by identifying the key sources of imprecision and quantifying their impact. METHODS To identify the key sources of imprecision and quantify their impact, an illustrative search strategy was developed using a validated DCM hedge combined with contemporary strategies used by authors in previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This strategy was applied to Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) and Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE) databases looking for relevant DCM systematic reviews and meta-analyses published within the last 5 years. RESULTS The MEDLINE via PubMed search strategy returned 24,166 results, refined to 534 papers after the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 32.96% (176/534) results were about DCM, and 18.16% (97/534) of these were DCM systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Non-DCM results were organized into imprecision categories (spinal: 268/534, 50.2%; nonspinal: 84/534, 15.5%; and nonhuman: 8/534, 1.5%). The largest categories were spinal cord injury (75/534, 13.67%), spinal neoplasms (44/534, 8.24%), infectious diseases of the spine and central nervous system (18/534, 3.37%), and other spinal levels (ie, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral; 18/534, 3.37%). Counterintuitively, the use of human and adult PubMed filters was found to exclude a large number of relevant articles. Searching a second database (EMBASE) added an extra 12 DCM systematic reviews or meta-analyses. CONCLUSIONS DCM search strategies face significant imprecision, principally because of overlapping and heterogenous search terms, and inaccurate article indexing. Notably, commonly employed MEDLINE filters, human and adult, reduced search sensitivity, whereas the related articles function and the use of a second database (EMBASE) improved it. Development of a MeSH labeling and a standardized DCM definition would allow comprehensive and specific indexing of DCM literature. This is required to support a more efficient research synthesis.

scholarly journals Using Multistate Observational Studies to Determine Role of Hypertension and Diabetes as Risk Factors for Dementia

2016 ◽  
Vol 07 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S003-S006
Author(s):  
Mitasha Singh ◽  
Des Raj ◽  
Sunil Kumar Raina ◽  
Manoj Kumar Gandhi ◽  
Vishav Chander
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Vascular Diseases ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Pubmed Database ◽  
Pubmed Search ◽  
Prevalence Of Dementia

ABSTRACT Background: Evidence suggests that modifiable risk factors which can be targeted by prevention are vascular diseases, such as diabetes, midlife hypertension (HTN), midlife obesity, midlife cholesterol, mid- and late-life depression as well as lifestyle factors such as smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diet. Methods: A comprehensive search of the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database and Google Scholar was conducted. A combinations of medical subject headings and free text words that included search terms related to the exposure (e.g., prevalence, HTN, raised BP, high BP, diabetes, high blood sugar, DM, India, state), were combined with search terms related to the outcomes (e.g., prevalence, disease burden, estimate, dementia, India). The filters included were English for the language category and humans for the study category. Results: The PubMed search initially identified 269 references, and a total of 204 abstracts were screened by inclusion criteria. Full-text assessment of 136 articles on prevalence of dementia resulted in 20 relevant articles from which the different regions of the country were identified. Based on the search conducted according to the regions; 287abstracts of the prevalence of HTN and 577 on the prevalence of diabetes mellitus were screened. There were 43 full-text articles on the prevalence of HTN and diabetes from the regions where the prevalence of dementia was available. Of these potentially relevant articles were 14 in number. Conclusion: Despite the uncertainty in the role, the data analysis, therefore, points to a role in the prevention of HTN and diabetes to prevent dementia.

scholarly journals Tackling Research Inefficiency in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Illustrative Review

10.2196/15922 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e15922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danyal Zaman Khan ◽  
Muhammad Shuaib Khan ◽  
Mark RN Kotter ◽  
Benjamin Marshall Davies
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Cervical Myelopathy ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Research Synthesis ◽  
International Classification Of Diseases ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Pubmed Search ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

Background Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is widely accepted as the most common cause of adult myelopathy worldwide. Despite this, there is no specific term or diagnostic criteria in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision and no Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) or an equivalent in common literature databases. This makes searching the literature and thus conducting systematic reviews or meta-analyses imprecise and inefficient. Efficient research synthesis is integral to delivering evidence-based medicine and improving research efficiency. Objective This study aimed to illustrate the difficulties encountered when attempting to carry out a comprehensive and accurate evidence search in the field of DCM by identifying the key sources of imprecision and quantifying their impact. Methods To identify the key sources of imprecision and quantify their impact, an illustrative search strategy was developed using a validated DCM hedge combined with contemporary strategies used by authors in previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This strategy was applied to Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) and Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE) databases looking for relevant DCM systematic reviews and meta-analyses published within the last 5 years. Results The MEDLINE via PubMed search strategy returned 24,166 results, refined to 534 papers after the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 32.96% (176/534) results were about DCM, and 18.16% (97/534) of these were DCM systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Non-DCM results were organized into imprecision categories (spinal: 268/534, 50.2%; nonspinal: 84/534, 15.5%; and nonhuman: 8/534, 1.5%). The largest categories were spinal cord injury (75/534, 13.67%), spinal neoplasms (44/534, 8.24%), infectious diseases of the spine and central nervous system (18/534, 3.37%), and other spinal levels (ie, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral; 18/534, 3.37%). Counterintuitively, the use of human and adult PubMed filters was found to exclude a large number of relevant articles. Searching a second database (EMBASE) added an extra 12 DCM systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Conclusions DCM search strategies face significant imprecision, principally because of overlapping and heterogenous search terms, and inaccurate article indexing. Notably, commonly employed MEDLINE filters, human and adult, reduced search sensitivity, whereas the related articles function and the use of a second database (EMBASE) improved it. Development of a MeSH labeling and a standardized DCM definition would allow comprehensive and specific indexing of DCM literature. This is required to support a more efficient research synthesis.

Objective Assessment of Aerosolization During Transnasal Endoscopy: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982110506
Author(s):  
Sophia Matos ◽  
Arun Sharma ◽  
Dana Crosby
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Endoscopic Procedures ◽  
Aerosol Generation ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Free Text Search ◽  
Meta Analyses

Objective The goal of this systematic review is to assimilate the literature on objective assessment of particulate aerosolization during transnasal endoscopic procedures. Data Sources PubMed and hand-searched articles. Review Methods The PubMed electronic database was searched using Medical Subject Headings and free-text search terms relating to aerosolization and transnasal endoscopic procedures from inception to November 16, 2020. References were hand-searched to identify additional publications for consideration. Inclusion in the systematic review required quantification of aerosol generation during clinic transnasal endoscopic procedures. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and flowchart were followed during the systematic review. Results Eight of 900 studies met criteria for inclusion in the systematic review. Five studies tested nasal endoscopy with mixed findings on the risk of aerosol generation during this procedure. Two studies assessed flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy and also reported mixed findings. Breathing, sneezing, speech, and spray anesthetic/decongestants were found to consistently increase aerosol generation above baseline. A number of studies tested new and general mitigation strategies and were found to be effective in decreasing aerosol generation. Conclusions The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has informed many considerations regarding patient and provider safety. It is valuable to understand the risk during outpatient otolaryngology procedures through the quantification of aerosolization. There are several effective methods to control aerosolization during these procedures. The findings of this systematic review will inform appropriate precautions to protect against spread of infectious agents by aerosolization.

scholarly journals Naming Specific Adverse Effects Improves Relative Recall for Search Filters Identifying Literature on Surgical Interventions in MEDLINE and Embase

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-67
Author(s):  
Ann Glusker
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Mesh Term ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Discussion Section ◽  
Surgical Interventions ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Search Filters ◽  
Specific Search

A Review of: Golder, S., Wright, K., & Loke, Y.K. (2018). The development of search filters for adverse effects of surgical interventions in MEDLINE and Embase. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 35(2), 121-129. https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12213 Abstract Objective – “To develop and validate search filters for MEDLINE and Embase for the adverse effects of surgical interventions” (p.121). Design – From a universe of systematic reviews, the authors created “an unselected cohort…where relevant articles are not chosen because of the presence of adverse effects terms” (p.123). The studies referenced in the cohort reviews were extracted to create an overall citation set. From this, three equal-sized sets of studies were created by random selection, and used for: development of a filter (identifying search terms); evaluation of the filter (testing how well it worked); and validation of the filter (assessing how well it retrieved relevant studies). Setting – Systematic reviews of adverse effects from the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), published in 2014. Subjects – 358 studies derived from the references of 19 systematic reviews (352 available in MEDLINE, 348 available in Embase). Methods – Word and phrase frequency analysis was performed on the development set of articles to identify a list of terms, starting with the term creating the highest recall from titles and abstracts of articles, and continuing until adding new search terms produced no more new records recalled. The search strategy thus developed was then tested on the evaluation set of articles. In this case, using the strategy recalled all of the articles which could be obtained using generic search terms; however, adding specific search terms (such as the MeSH term “surgical site infection”) improved recall. Finally, the strategy incorporating both generic and specific search terms for adverse effects was used on the validation set of articles. Search strategies used are included in the article, as is a list in the discussion section of MeSH and Embase indexing terms specific to or suggesting adverse effects. Main Results – “In each case the addition of specific adverse effects terms could have improved the recall of the searches” (p. 127). This was true for all six cases (development, evaluation and validation study sets, for each of MEDLINE and Embase) in which specific terms were added to searches using generic terms, and recall percentages compared. Conclusion – While no filter can deliver 100% of items in a given standard set of studies on adverse effects (since title and abstract fields may not contain any indication of relevance to the topic), adding specific adverse effects terms to generic ones while developing filters is shown to improve recall for surgery-related adverse effects (similarly to drug-related adverse effects). The use of filters requires user engagement and critical analysis; at the same time, deploying well-constructed filters can have many benefits, including: helping users, especially clinicians, get a search started; managing a large and unwieldy set of citations retrieved; and to suggest new search strategies.

scholarly journals P.1.28 Air pollution and diseases: a practical tool for effective pubmed search

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A84.3-A84
Author(s):  
Stefania Curti ◽  
Stefano Mattioli
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Outdoor Air Pollution ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
Search Filters ◽  
Pubmed Search ◽  
Practical Tool

ObjectivesTo identify efficient PubMed search filters for the study of outdoor air pollution determinants of diseases.MethodsWe listed Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and non-MeSH terms that seemed pertinent to outdoor air pollutants exposure as determinants of diseases. Proportions of potentially pertinent articles retrieved by each term were estimated. We then formulated two filters: one ‘more specific’, one ‘more sensitive’. Their performances were compared with a gold standard of systematic reviews on associations between diseases and outdoor air pollution. We calculated, for both the filters, the number (of abstract) needed to read (NNR) to identify one potentially pertinent article, exploring three diseases potentially associated with outdoor air pollution.ResultsThe combination of terms that yielded a threshold of potentially pertinent articles≥40% permitted to formulate the ‘more specific’ filter. On the basis of the combination of all search terms under study we formulated the ‘more sensitive’ filter. In comparison with the gold standard, the ‘more specific’ filter had the highest specificity (67.4%; with a sensitivity of 82.5%) and the ‘more sensitive’ filter had the highest sensitivity (98.5%; with a specificity of 47.9%). For the ‘more specific’ filter and the ‘more sensitive’ one the NNR to find one potentially pertinent article was 1.9 and 3.3, respectively.ConclusionsThe proposed search filters help investigating environmental determinants of medical conditions. We published them on: Curti S et al. PubMed search filters for the study of putative outdoor air pollution determinants of disease. BMJ Open. 2016;6 (12):e013092.

scholarly journals Clinical Information Systems as the Backbone of a Complex Information Logistics Process: Findings from the Clinical Information Systems Perspective for 2016

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (01) ◽  
pp. 103-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. O. Hackl ◽  
T. Ganslandt
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Clinical Information Systems ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Information Logistics ◽  
Free Text Search ◽  
Logistics Process ◽  
Selection Of

Summary Objective: To summarize recent research and to propose a selection of best papers published in 2016 in the field of Clinical Information Systems (CIS). Method: The query used to retrieve the articles for the CIS section of the 2016 edition of the IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics was reused. It again aimed at identifying relevant publications in the field of CIS from PubMed and Web of Science and comprised search terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) catalog as well as additional free text search terms. The retrieved articles were categorized in a multi-pass review carried out by the two section editors. The final selection of candidate papers was then peer-reviewed by Yearbook editors and external reviewers. Based on the review results, the best papers were then chosen at the selection meeting with the IMIA Yearbook editorial board. Text mining, term co-occurrence mapping, and topic modelling techniques were used to get an overview on the content of the retrieved articles. Results: The query was carried out in mid-January 2017, yielding a consolidated result set of 2,190 articles published in 921 different journals. Out of them, 14 papers were nominated as candidate best papers and three of them were finally selected as the best papers of the CIS field. The content analysis of the articles revealed the broad spectrum of topics covered by CIS research. Conclusions: The CIS field is multi-dimensional and complex. It is hard to draw a well-defined outline between CIS and other domains or other sections of the IMIA Yearbook. The trends observed in the previous years are progressing. Clinical information systems are more than just sociotechnical systems for data collection, processing, exchange, presentation, and archiving. They are the backbone of a complex, trans-institutional information logistics process.

scholarly journals Compliance of systematic reviews in veterinary journals with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) literature search reporting guidelines

2017 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine C. Toews
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Search Process ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Journal Editors ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Accurate Reporting

Objective: Complete, accurate reporting of systematic reviews facilitates assessment of how well reviews have been conducted. The primary objective of this study was to examine compliance of systematic reviews in veterinary journals with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for literature search reporting and to examine the completeness, bias, and reproducibility of the searches in these reviews from what was reported. The second objective was to examine reporting of the credentials and contributions of those involved in the search process.Methods: A sample of systematic reviews or meta-analyses published in veterinary journals between 2011 and 2015 was obtained by searching PubMed. Reporting in the full text of each review was checked against certain PRISMA checklist items.Results: Over one-third of reviews (37%) did not search the CAB Abstracts database, and 9% of reviews searched only 1 database. Over two-thirds of reviews (65%) did not report any search for grey literature or stated they excluded grey literature. The majority of reviews (95%) did not report a reproducible search strategy.Conclusions: Most reviews had significant deficiencies in reporting the search process that raise questions about how these searches were conducted and ultimately cast serious doubts on the validity and reliability of reviews based on a potentially biased and incomplete body of literature. These deficiencies also highlight the need for veterinary journal editors and publishers to be more rigorous in requiring adherence to PRISMA guidelines and to encourage veterinary researchers to include librarians or information specialists on systematic review teams to improve the quality and reporting of searches.

scholarly journals Using MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) to Enhance PubMed Search Strategies for Evidence-Based Practice in Physical Therapy

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randy R. Richter ◽  
Tricia M. Austin
Keyword(s):  
Search Strategy ◽  
Evidence Based Practice ◽  
Physical Therapists ◽  
Mesh Term ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
Subject Headings ◽  
Pubmed Search

Background Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an important paradigm in health care. Physical therapists report lack of knowledge and time constraints as barriers to EBP. Objective The purpose of this technical report is to illustrate how Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), a controlled vocabulary thesaurus of indexing terms, is used to efficiently search MEDLINE, the largest component of PubMed. Using clinical questions, this report illustrates how search terms common to physical therapist practice do or do not map to appropriate MeSH terms. A PubMed search strategy that takes advantage of text words and MeSH terms is provided. Results A search of 139 terms and 13 acronyms was conducted to determine whether they appropriately mapped to a MeSH term. The search results were categorized into 1 of 5 outcomes. Nearly half (66/139) of the search terms mapped to an appropriate MeSH term (outcome 1). When a search term did not appropriately map to a MeSH term, it was entered into the MeSH database to search for an appropriate MeSH term. Twenty-one appropriate MeSH terms were found (outcomes 2 and 4), and there were 52 search terms for which an appropriate MeSH term was not found (outcomes 3 and 5). Nearly half of the acronyms did not map to an appropriate MeSH term, and an appropriate MeSH term was not found in the database. Limitations The results are based on a limited number of search terms and acronyms. Conclusions Understanding how search terms map to MeSH terms and using the PubMed search strategy can enable physical therapists to take full advantage of available MeSH terms and should result in more-efficient and better-informed searches.

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