searchRxiv: A Resource for Sharing Database Search Strategies.

Medical librarians can increase their work visibility and highlight their unique role on evidence synthesis teams with searchRxiv, an open access repository that makes librarian's efforts easily citable and resolves longstanding challenges pertaining to reproducing full search strategies within literature review articles. This column will discuss how to navigate searchRxiv to find, reuse, and cite published search strategies, as well as the process of depositing search strategies.

How Well Do AI-Enabled Decision Support Systems Perform in Clinical Settings?

Real-world performance of machine learning (ML) models is crucial for safely and effectively embedding them into clinical decision support (CDS) systems. We examined evidence about the performance of contemporary ML-based CDS in clinical settings. A systematic search of four bibliographic databases identified 32 studies over a 5-year period. The CDS task, ML type, ML method and real-world performance was extracted and analysed. Most ML-based CDS supported image recognition and interpretation (n=12; 38%) and risk assessment (n=9; 28%). The majority used supervised learning (n=28; 88%) to train random forests (n=7; 22%) and convolutional neural networks (n=7; 22%). Only 12 studies reported real-world performance using heterogenous metrics; and performance degraded in clinical settings compared to model validation. The reporting of model performance is fundamental to ensuring safe and effective use of ML-based CDS in clinical settings. There remain opportunities to improve reporting.

Clinical decision support system for clinical nurses' decision-making on nurse-to-patient assignment: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Optimal nurse-to-patient assignment plays a crucial role in healthcare delivery, with direct implications for patient outcomes and the workloads of nursing staff. However, this process is highly intricate, involving a multitude of factors that must be carefully considered. The application of a clinical decision support system (CDSS) to support nursing decision-making can have a positive impact not only on patient outcomes but also on nursing efficiency. This scoping review aims to explore the implementation of CDSS in the decision process of optimal nurse-patient assignment (NPA). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review will follow a stage of the Arksey and O'Malley framework. It will also be based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews' (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The research primarily aims to identify studies' findings on applying CDSSs in the NPA process. Hence, academic and grey literature articles from six international bibliographic databases (ie, MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE via Ovid, CINAHL via EBSCOhost, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global) will be considered, where search strategies will be tailored to each database. The literature search will be conducted in February 2024, and the identified studies will be independently screened by two primary reviewers. After extracting data, the qualitative data will be analysed thematically, and the quantitative data will be subjected to descriptive statistics. The research is scheduled to conclude in December 2024. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required as primary data will not be collected in this study. The findings of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Use of deprescribing search filters in systematic review search strategies: A case study.

Two deprescribing search filters for MEDLINE and one deprescribing search filter for Embase have been recently developed, including objectively developed search filters. The objective of this case study was to implement these three deprescribing search filters in systematic review (SR) search strategies and to assess their effect on performances. SR that independently developed original search strategies (OSS) were selected. The deprescribing filters were implemented in each OSS, generating two implemented search strategies (ISS1 and ISS2) in MEDLINE and one ISS (ISS3) in Embase. OSS were re-run on the same date as ISS. The performances of ISS and OSS were calculated and compared. Two SR were included (SR1 and SR2). For MEDLINE, SR1 included 12 articles. The sensitivity was 50% for OSS, 58% for ISS1 and 42% for ISS2. SR2 included four articles. The sensitivity of OSS, ISS 1 and 2 was 25%. For Embase, SR1 included 12 articles. The sensitivity was 33% for OSS and 58% for ISS3. SR2 included four articles. None of the four included articles were retrieved with OSS or ISS3. While sensitivity of OSS was moderate, the objectively developed deprescribing filters maintained or slightly improved this sensitivity when implementing.

Europe PMC in 2023.

Europe PMC (https://europepmc.org/) is an open access database of life science journal articles and preprints, which contains over 42 million abstracts and over 9 million full text articles accessible via the website, APIs and bulk download. This publication outlines new developments to the Europe PMC platform since the last database update in 2020 (1) and focuses on five main areas. (i) Improving discoverability, reproducibility and trust in preprints by indexing new preprint content, enriching preprint metadata and identifying withdrawn and removed preprints. (ii) Enhancing support for text and data mining by expanding the types of annotations provided and developing the Europe PMC Annotations Corpus, which can be used to train machine learning models to increase their accuracy and precision. (iii) Developing the Article Status Monitor tool and email alerts, to notify users about new articles and updates to existing records. (iv) Positioning Europe PMC as an open scholarly infrastructure through increasing the portion of open source core software, improving sustainability and accessibility of the service.

Adjunctive continuous theta burst stimulation for major depressive disorder or bipolar depression: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

OBJECTIVES: As a novel type of theta burst stimulation (TBS), continuous TBS (cTBS) has been shown to have mixed therapeutic effects for major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar depression (BD). Thus, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of cTBS for treating major depressive episodes in patients with MDD or BD. METHODS: A systematic search of four major bibliographic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO) was conducted from inception dates to February 3, 2023 to identify eligible studies. The data were analyzed using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Three RCTs (n = 78, active cTBS = 37 and sham cTBS = 41) were included the meta-analysis. No significant differences were found in terms of change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores (3 RCTs, n = 78, SMD = -0.09, 95 % CI: -0.53 to 0.36; I2 = 0 %; P = 0.71) and study-defined response (2 RCTs, n = 58, 26.7 % versus 21.4 %, RR = 1.20, 95 % CI: 0.48 to 2.96; I2 = 0 %; P = 0.70) between active and sham cTBS groups. Similarly, no group differences were found in the rates of adverse events and discontinuation due to any reason (P > 0.05). LIMITATIONS: Meta-analysis had small sample sizes and low number of included studies. CONCLUSIONS: Although cTBS appeared to be a safe and well-tolerated option for treating major depressive episodes in MDD or BD patients, no advantage in treatment effects was found in this meta-analysis. Future large-scale studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of cTBS for MDD or BD patients with a major depressive episode.

Baseline depression severity as moderator on depression outcomes in psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based treatments for adult depression include psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, yet little is known about how baseline depression severity moderates treatment outcome. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare the effects of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for adult depression and to examine the association between baseline depression severity and treatment outcome, converting multiple baseline depression measures into the scores of the Beck Depression Inventory, second edition (BDI-II). METHODS: We conducted systematic searches in bibliographical databases up to September 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which psychotherapy was compared with pharmacotherapy in the treatment of adult depression. Various meta-regressions using the baseline depression severity as predictor of the relative effects of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy were performed. RESULTS: We identified 65 RCTs including 7250 participants for the meta-analyses and 56 RCTs including 5548 participants for the meta-regression. We found no significant difference between psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (g = -0.08, 95 % CI: -0.2 to 0.04, p = 0.193) and baseline depression severity was not significantly associated with the relative effects of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (B = 0.0032, SE = 0.0096, p = 0.74). Results were similar in several sensitivity analyses. LIMITATIONS: Limitations included the low quality of the included studies, and the omission of long-term effects and within-study variability. CONCLUSIONS: We found no indication for a moderation effect of baseline depression severity on the relative effects of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Thus, other factors such as availability and patients' preference must be considered when deciding for treatment options.

Search strategies (filters) to identify systematic reviews in MEDLINE and Embase.

BACKGROUND: Bibliographic databases provide access to an international body of scientific literature in health and medical sciences. Systematic reviews are an important source of evidence for clinicians, researchers, consumers, and policymakers as they address a specific health-related question and use explicit methods to identify, appraise and synthesize evidence from which conclusions can be drawn and decisions made. Methodological search filters help database end-users search the literature effectively with different levels of sensitivity and specificity. These filters have been developed for various study designs and have been found to be particularly useful for intervention studies. Other filters have been developed for finding systematic reviews. Considering the variety and number of available search filters for systematic reviews, there is a need for a review of them in order to provide evidence about their retrieval properties at the time they were developed. OBJECTIVES: To review systematically empirical studies that report the development, evaluation, or comparison of search filters to retrieve reports of systematic reviews in MEDLINE and Embase. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the following databases from inception to January 2023: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO; Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) and Science Citation Index (Web of Science). SELECTION CRITERIA: We included studies if one of their primary objectives is the development, evaluation, or comparison of a search filter that could be used to retrieve systematic reviews on MEDLINE, Embase, or both. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently extracted data using a pre-specified and piloted data extraction form using InterTASC Information Specialist Subgroup (ISSG) Search Filter Evaluation Checklist. MAIN RESULTS: We identified eight studies that developed filters for MEDLINE and three studies that developed filters for Embase. Most studies are very old and some were limited to systematic reviews in specific clinical areas. Six included studies reported the sensitivity of their developed filter. Seven studies reported precision and six studies reported specificity. Only one study reported the number needed to read and positive predictive value. None of the filters were designed to differentiate systematic reviews on the basis of their methodological quality. For MEDLINE, all filters showed similar sensitivity and precision, and one filter showed higher levels of specificity. For Embase, filters showed variable sensitivity and precision, with limited study reports that may affect accuracy assessments. The report of these studies had some limitations, and the assessments of their accuracy may suffer from indirectness, considering that they were mostly developed before the release of the PRISMA 2009 statement or due to their limited scope in the selection of systematic review topics. Search filters for MEDLINE Three studies produced filters with sensitivity > 90% with variable degrees of precision, and only one of them was developed and validated in a gold-standard database, which allowed the calculation of specificity. The other two search filters had lower levels of sensitivity. One of these produced a filter with higher levels of specificity (> 90%). All filters showed similar sensitivity and precision in the external validation, except for one which was not externally validated and another one which was conceptually derived and only externally validated. Search filters for Embase We identified three studies that developed filters for this database. One of these studies developed filters with variable sensitivity and precision, including highly sensitive strategies (> 90%); however, it was not externally validated. The other study produced a filter with a lower sensitivity (72.7%) but high specificity (99.1%) with a similar performance in the external validation. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Studies reporting the development, evaluation, or comparison of search filters to retrieve reports of systematic reviews in MEDLINE showed similar sensitivity and precision, with one filter showing higher levels of specificity. For Embase, filters showed variable sensitivity and precision, with limited information about how the filter was produced, which leaves us uncertain about their performance assessments. Newer filters had limitations in their methods or scope, including very focused subject topics for their gold standards, limiting their applicability across other topics. Our findings highlight that consensus guidance on the conduct of search filters and standardized reporting of search filters are needed, as we found highly heterogeneous development methods, accuracy assessments and outcome selection. New strategies adaptable across interfaces could enhance their usability. Moreover, the performance of existing filters needs to be evaluated in light of the impact of reporting guidelines, including the PRISMA 2009, on how systematic reviews are reported. Finally, future filter developments should also consider comparing the filters against a common reference set to establish comparative performance and assess the quality of systematic reviews retrieved by strategies.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of journal clubs in undergraduate medicine.

Background: Training future doctors in the skills of evidence-based medicine (EBM) is clearly important. Journal club (JCs) are well-recognized educational interventions for teaching EBM. In contrast to postgraduate medical education, JCs use in undergraduate medical education (UME) has not been adequately explored. We conducted a realist review of the effectiveness of JCs in UME to unpack the underlying mechanisms by which the intervention works (or fails) in teaching EBM. Methods: The scope of review was the evaluation of the effectiveness of JCs in UME settings. We searched major bibliographic databases - MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, PSYCInfo, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science and found fifteen articles eligible for inclusion. Data was extracted aided by a modified Kirkpatrick framework and presented in evidence tables. Themes and chains of inference were identified, and finally, we formulated new hypotheses on how and why JC intervention works. Results: Mandatory vs. voluntary JC did not differentially impact attendance of JC in UME settings though JC duration beyond two hours decreased attendees' self-reported satisfaction. Coupling lectures to JCs positively impacts knowledge gain and retention. Coupled Mentorship or using critical appraisal worksheets helped the achievement of manuscript writing skills and a positive attitude towards EBM. Conclusions: Journal clubs are effective interventions to teach EBM in UME settings and are well-received by learners. They improve specific learning outcomes of knowledge gain and retention, skills of manuscript writing and critical appraisal. However, we found no evidence that these translates to the practice of EBM nor impacts patient outcomes.

Contexte: Il est important que les compétences enseignées aux futurs médecins soient conformes à l'approche de la médecine fondée sur les données probantes (MFDP) et les clubs de lecture (CL) sont reconnus comme une intervention pédagogique en ce sens. Le recours aux CL dans la formation prédoctorale a été peu étudié, contrairement à la place qu'ils occupent au postdoctorat. Nous avons effectué une revue réaliste de l'efficacité des CL dans la formation de premier cycle pour décortiquer les mécanismes sous-jacents qui déterminent la réussite ou l'échec de cette méthode pédagogique en ce qui a trait à l'enseignement de la MFDP. Méthodes: La revue visait l'évaluation de l'efficacité des CL dans la formation médicale prédoctroale. Nous avons effectué des recherches dans les principales banques de données bibliographiques ­ MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, PSYCInfo, CINAHL, Scopus et Web of Science ­ et avons trouvé quinze articles répondant à nos critères d'inclusion. Nous avons utilisé le modèle modifié de Kirkpatrick pour la collecte de données, que nous avons présentées sous forme de tableaux de preuves. Nous avons dégagé des thèmes et élaboré des chaînes d'inférences, puis formulé de nouvelles hypothèses sur le comment et le pourquoi de l'efficacité des CL. Résultats: Le caractère obligatoire ou facultatif de l'activité n'a pas eu d'effet différentiel sur la participation des étudiants de premier cycle aux CL, mais leur satisfaction autodéclarée diminuait lorsque la durée de la séance dépassait deux heures. En revanche, le fait de conjuguer les CL à des conférences a eu un effet positif sur l'acquisition et la rétention des connaissances et le fait de les conjuguer au mentorat ou à l'utilisation de feuilles d'évaluation critique a contribué à l'acquisition de compétences en rédaction et à l'adoption par les étudiants d'une attitude positive à l'égard de la MFDP. Conclusions: Les clubs de lecture constituent un moyen efficace et bien accueilli par les apprenants pour enseigner la MFDP au prédoctorat. Ils améliorent les résultats d'apprentissage spécifiques sur le plan de l'acquisition et de la rétention des connaissances, ainsi que les compétences en matière de rédaction et d'évaluation critique. Toutefois, nous n'avons trouvé aucune indication que ces effets puissent se répercuter dans la pratique de la MFDP ou dans les résultats pour les patients.

Looking at the fringes of MedTech innovation: a mapping review of horizon scanning and foresight methods.

OBJECTIVES: Horizon scanning (HS) is a method used to examine signs of change and may be used in foresight practice. HS methods used for the identification of innovative medicinal products cannot be applied in medical technologies (MedTech) due to differences in development and regulatory processes. The aim of this study is to identify HS and other methodologies used for MedTech foresight in support to healthcare decision-making. METHOD: A mapping review was performed. We searched bibliographical databases including MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore and Compendex Engineering Village and grey literature sources such as Google, CORE database and the International HTA database. Our searches identified 8888 records. After de-duplication, and manual and automated title, abstracts and full-text screening, 49 papers met the inclusion criteria and were data extracted. RESULTS: Twenty-five single different methods were identified, often used in combination; of these, only three were novel (appearing only once in the literature). Text mining or artificial intelligence solutions appear as early as 2012, often practised in patent and social media sources. The time horizon used in scanning was not often justified. Some studies regarded experts both as a source and as a method. Literature searching remains one of the most used methods for innovation identification. HS methods were vaguely reported, but often involved consulting with experts and stakeholders. CONCLUSION: Heterogeneous methodologies, sources and time horizons are used for HS and foresight of MedTech innovation with little or no justification provided for their use. This review revealed an array of known methods being used in combination to overcome the limitations posed by single methods. The review also revealed inconsistency in methods reporting, with a lack of any consensus regarding best practice. Greater transparency in methods reporting and consistency in methods use would contribute to increased output quality to support informed timely decision-making.

Responsible exit of humanitarian aid agencies at the end of programmes: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: In humanitarian settings, aid agencies are constantly challenged by difficult decisions such as when and how to terminate aid without harming the aid recipients, local institutions, staff members and the organisation. Despite important efforts devoted to responsibly leaving a setting, hurtful exits are still common in contemporary relief aid. Moreover, debates on how humanitarian aid agencies exit are limited, with no previous comprehensive evidence synthesis on the concept of 'responsible exit'. The objective of this scoping review is to map evidence and knowledge gaps, to identify and describe concepts, theories and existing frameworks related to 'responsible exit' of humanitarian aid agencies. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Our search uses searches of several bibliographic databases (CAB Direct (including Global Health), Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar) as well as manual searches of specific journals and retrieval of grey literature through searches of organisational websites and direct contact with experts and organisations. Reference tracking will be used to identify additional sources. Searches will cover papers available up to the dates of the searches (December 2022 to January 2023), with no date restrictions applied to the literature search. To be included, published or unpublished papers must explicitly discuss the exit of humanitarian aid agencies from humanitarian settings and be accessible. We will exclude all exits related to military, local and governmental humanitarian operations, education, development, employment, and business sectors. Only papers written in English and French will be considered. Three reviewers will conduct the selection process against the predefined criteria. Data will be extracted in an iterative process following pre-established items and the results will be presented in a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews Extension for Scoping Reviews flow chart, tables and/or graphs, and descriptive formats. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Being a review, conducted on publicly available information, no ethical approval is required. The results will be disseminated through publication in an open access journal, scientific conferences, workshops, and via humanitarian aid agencies to facilitate further research and possible practical translations of generated knowledge.

Mental Health First Aid as a tool for improving mental health and well-being.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of mental health problems is high, and they have a wide-ranging and deleterious effect on many sectors in society. As well as the impact on individuals and families, mental health problems in the workplace negatively affect productivity. One of the factors that may exacerbate the impact of mental health problems is a lack of 'mental health literacy' in the general population. This has been defined as 'knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders, which aid their recognition, management, or prevention'. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a brief training programme developed in Australia in 2000; its aim is to improve mental health literacy and teach mental health first aid strategies. The course has been adapted for various contexts, but essentially covers the symptoms of various mental health disorders, along with associated mental health crisis situations. The programmes also teach trainees how to provide immediate help to people experiencing mental health difficulties, as well as how to signpost to professional services. It is theorised that improved knowledge will encourage the trainees to provide support, and encourage people to actively seek help, thereby leading to improvements in mental health. This review focuses on the effects of MHFA on the mental health and mental well-being of individuals and communities in which MHFA training has been provided. We also examine the impact on mental health literacy. This information is essential for decision-makers considering the role of MHFA training in their organisations. OBJECTIVES: To examine mental health and well-being, mental health service usage, and adverse effects of MHFA training on individuals in the communities in which MHFA training is delivered. SEARCH METHODS: We developed a sensitive search strategy to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of MHFA training. This approach used bibliographic databases searching, using a search strategy developed for Ovid MEDLINE (1946 -), and translated across to Ovid Embase (1974 -), Ovid PsycINFO (1967 -), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Cochrane Common Mental Disorders Group's Specialised Register (CCMDCTR). We also searched online clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov and WHO ICTRP), grey literature and reference lists of included studies, and contacted researchers in the field to identify additional and ongoing studies. Searches are current to 13th June 2023. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included RCTs and cluster-RCTs comparing any type of MHFA-trademarked course to no intervention, active or attention control (such as first aid courses), waiting list control, or alternative mental health literacy interventions. Participants were individuals in the communities in which MHFA training is delivered and MHFA trainees. Primary outcomes included mental health and well-being of individuals, mental health service usage and adverse effects of MHFA training. Secondary outcomes related to individuals, MHFA trainees, and communities or organisations in which MHFA training has been delivered DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard Cochrane methods. We analysed categorical outcomes as risk ratios (RRs) and odds ratios (ORs), and continuous outcomes as mean differences (MDs) or standardised mean differences (SMDs), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We pooled data using a random-effects model. Two review authors independently assessed the key results using the Risk of Bias 2 tool and applied the GRADE criteria to assess the certainty of evidence MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-one studies involving a total of 22,604 participants were included in the review. Fifteen studies compared MHFA training with no intervention/waiting list, two studies compared MHFA training with an alternative mental health literacy intervention, and four studies compared MHFA training with an active or an attention control intervention. Our primary time point was between six and 12 months. When MHFA training was compared with no intervention, it may have little to no effect on the mental health of individuals at six to 12 months, but the evidence is very uncertain (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.28; 3 studies; 3939 participants). We judged all the results that contributed to this outcome as being at high risk of bias. No study measured mental health service usage at six to 12 months. We did not find published data on adverse effects. Only one study with usable data compared MHFA training with an alternative mental health literacy intervention. The study did not measure outcomes in individuals in the community. It also did not measure outcomes at our primary time point of six to 12 months. Four studies with usable data compared MHFA training to an active or attention control. None of the studies measured outcomes at our primary time point of six to 12 months. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We cannot draw conclusions about the effects of MHFA training on our primary outcomes due to the lack of good quality evidence. This is the case whether it is compared to no intervention, to an alternative mental health literacy intervention, or to an active control. Studies are at high risk of bias and often not sufficiently large to be able to detect differences.

Improving primary care referral to specialist services: a protocol for a 10-year global systematic review in the Australian context.

INTRODUCTION: Barriers to accessing specialist services impart a significant burden on patient outcomes and experience as well as a cost and administrative burden on health systems due to healthcare wastage and inefficiencies. This paper outlines the planned protocol for a systematic review relating to how health systems perform with regard to patient access to specialist care, and the efficacy of interventions aimed at improving this. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Systematic review of the literature will be carried out on publications retrieved by searching the following electronic literature databases: EBSCOhost Megafile Ultimate (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Academic Search Ultimate, APA Psychological Abstracts (PsycINFO), HealthSource), PubMed (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE)), Elsevier Bibliographic Database (Scopus), Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Web of Science and The Cochrane Library. Articles published over a 10-year period (2012-2022) will be analysed to determine; current accessibility and availability problems faced by primary care services when referring patients to specialist care, and the effectiveness of interventions to improve primary care access to specialist services. Grey literature publications (ie, government reports, policy statements and issues papers, conference proceedings) will not be analysed in this review. Articles not published in English, Spanish or Portuguese will not be included. Two independent reviewers will conduct the initial screening, disagreements will be resolved by a third independent reviewer, following which data extraction and selection of eligible sources will be carried out. Selected articles will be categorised on study design, setting and participants. Methodological quality and heterogeneity will subsequently be assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A descriptive approach will be used to review and synthesise the findings. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study does not require ethics committee review as it solely focuses on analysing published literature. Findings will be published and disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022354890.

Comparison of Databases for Complex Evidence Syntheses on Education for the Health Professions.

Increased requests for assistance with literature searches on educational topics within the health professions motivated two health science librarians to analyze search function and results in eleven bibliographic databases on questions representing three allied health instructional target populations (patient, caregiver, and future health professionals). Results overlap and relevance were estimated and useful functions and subject headings were examined, as evidence for future search and database recommendations. This research confirmed the authors' hypothesis that PubMed and CINAHL overlapped significantly yet yielded sufficient unique citations to recommend searching both, plus at least one education-specific database. For the six questions researched, psychology and sports medicine databases were less productive.

Discrepancies among Scopus and Web of Science, coverage of funding information in medical journal articles: a follow-up study.

Objective: This follow-up study aims to determine if and how the coverage of funding information in Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) and Scopus changed from 2015 to 2021. Methods: The number of all funded articles published in 2021 was identified in WoS and Scopus bibliographic databases using bibliometric analysis on a sample of 52 prestigious medical journals. Results: The analysis of the number of funded articles with funding information showed statistically significant differences between Scopus and WoS due to substantial differences in the number of funded articles between some single journals. Conclusion: Due to significant differences in the number of funded articles indexed in WoS and Scopus, which might be attributed to the different protocols for handling funding data in WoS and Scopus, we would still advise using both databases to obtain and analyze funding information.

Suitability of indexing terms in the MEDLINE bibliographic database on drug-related problems.

BACKGROUND: For years, there has been controversy about the meaning of medication-related problems (MRPs). This has led several authors to attempt to redefine and classify this term with the aim of using it correctly in the healthcare setting. So far without achieving the desired objective, resulting in erroneous results in the sources of information and thus in malpractice in the sector. OBJECTIVE: To describe and analyze the appropriateness of the existing indexing of scientific publications in the MEDLINE bibliographical database with respect to drug-related problems (DRPs) and to determine whether the descriptors used fulfilled the function of suitably representing this concept. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted, using the following search terms: Medication Errors; Drug Interactions; Drug Overdose; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Contraindications, Drug. The sample size was calculated by estimating population parameters in an infinite population (expected value = 0.05; precision of interval = 0.05; level of confidence = 0.95) and the selection method was simple random sampling without replacement, taking the total number of bibliographical references in the database as the basis. The agreement of the indexing with DRPs was evaluated with the coefficient of determination (R2), and the Cohen kappa coefficient was used for the association between the definition of the descriptors and the objective of the article. RESULTS: The 1930 records analyzed showed a total of 2888 different major topics. These major topics were present, with at least one of the five descriptors studied, in 482 (25.0%; 95% CI 23.0-27.0) documentary files, with statistically significant differences between the two phases analyzed (χ2 = 183.8; degrees of freedom (df) = 1; p < 0.001): 1st phase, 295 (13.3%; 95% CI 13.7-16.9) and 2nd phase, 187 (9.7%; 95% CI 8.4-11.0). Overall scientific output with the five descriptors showed a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9 (p < 0.001) and the relationship between the objective of the study and the definitions of the five descriptors was 0.9 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There was a very good direct exponential trend of the overall scientific output retrieved with the terms associated with DRPs, although the progression of the five descriptors separately did not show a growth model conforming to expectations. There was a moderate agreement between the objective of the study and the definition of each of the five descriptors used and a low relationship between the objective of the study and the concept of DRPs used for this investigation. It is essential to have a descriptor that unifies the terminological diffusion that has existed up till now, since process (causes) and effects (outcomes) have been mixed together under the various definitions and classifications of DRPs found in the studies.