[The practice of systematic reviews. II. Searching and selection of studies].

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd

Vrije Universiteit, Faculteit der Geneeskunde, Instituut voor Extramuraal Geneeskundig Onderzoek, Amsterdam.

Published: March 1999

Structured searching and selection of studies is an important component of a systematic review. It is recommended to record the various steps in a protocol in advance. The thoroughness of the searching and selection will partially depend on the available resources, like manpower and funds. A search action should be based on an unequivocally formulated research or clinical question, that is operationalized into clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. The actual start of a search strategy is a search in preferably multiple databases like Medline and EMBASE-Excerpta Medica. Additional search actions can be performed in trial registers and printed indexes and by correspondence with experts and hand searching of journals. Storage of the search results in a bibliographic database is recommended. Various methodological problems may play a role in searching and selecting studies for a review: studies may selectively not be published, results are only partially presented in the publication, studies are selectively included in reference lists, and reviewers themselves may make systematic errors in the selection process.

Download full-text PDF

Source

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

searching selection
12
studies selectively
8
searching
5
search
5
[the practice
4
practice systematic
4
systematic reviews
4
reviews searching
4
selection
4
selection studies]
4

Similar Publications

Z boson events at the Large Hadron Collider can be selected with high purity and are sensitive to a diverse range of QCD phenomena. As a result, these events are often used to probe the nature of the strong force, improve Monte Carlo event generators, and search for deviations from standard model predictions. All previous measurements of Z boson production characterize the event properties using a small number of observables and present the results as differential cross sections in predetermined bins.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Elbow ailments are common, but conventional treatment modalities have shortcomings, offering only interim pain relief rather than targeting the underlying pathophysiology. The last two decades have seen a marked increase in the use of autologous peripheral blood-derived orthobiologics (APBOs), such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), to manage elbow disorders. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is the most widely used APBO, but its efficacy remains debatable.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and consensus-based recommendations (CBRs) require considerable effort, collaboration, and time-all within the constraints of finite resources. Professional societies, such as the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), must prioritize what topics and questions to address. Implementing evidence-based care remains a crucial challenge in clinical practice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Perioperative Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Orthopedic Trauma: A Practical Review.

R I Med J (2013)

February 2025

Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island.

Background: Orthopedic trauma patients are at high risk for venous thromboembolic (VTE) complications. Despite this, VTE prophylaxis is often held peri-operatively out of concern for increased bleeding and associated complications. This review's purpose is to examine guidelines and studies on withholding prophylactic anticoagulation peri-operatively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Balancing oxygen requirements, neurologic outcomes, and systemic complications from transfusions in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients is challenging. This review compares liberal and restrictive transfusion strategies in TBI patients.

Data Sources: Electronic databases were searched from inception to October 2024.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!