Creating Filters for Surgical Studies in MEDLINE and EMBASE
Author Information
Author(s): Cynthia Fraser, Alison Murray, Jennifer Burr
Primary Institution: Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen
Hypothesis
Can effective filters be developed to identify non-randomised evidence for surgical interventions in MEDLINE and EMBASE?
Conclusion
The MEDLINE and EMBASE filters were highly sensitive and substantially reduced the number of records retrieved, indicating that they are useful tools for efficient literature searching.
Supporting Evidence
- The filters achieved 100% sensitivity in retrieving relevant studies.
- The filters reduced the number of irrelevant records retrieved by 33.2% to 37.9%.
- The study included a reference standard of 217 articles, primarily case series.
Takeaway
The researchers made special tools to help find studies about surgeries that aren't random, making it easier to find the right information without getting lost in too many unrelated articles.
Methodology
The study developed and validated filters for MEDLINE and EMBASE using a reference standard derived from screening results of an electronic literature search.
Potential Biases
The reference standard was confined to journals that publish papers on refractive surgery, which may introduce bias.
Limitations
The reference standard may not represent all indexed records, and the study was limited to specific publication years and types of journals.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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