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Enhancing evidence-based practice--a controlled vocabulary for nursing practice and research
Kaija Saranto1, Marianne Tallberg
1Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Kuopio, P.O. Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland. kaija.saranto@uku.fi
International Journal of Medical Informatics
|August 12, 2003
Summary
A new controlled nursing vocabulary was developed for improved information retrieval. This nursing thesaurus enhances evidence-based practice by standardizing terms for indexing and searching nursing research.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Informatics
- Health Sciences Information Management
Background:
- Evidence-based practice necessitates adaptable information retrieval systems.
- Effective electronic database searching relies on familiar and precise terminology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a controlled nursing vocabulary for indexing and information retrieval.
- To integrate nursing-specific terms with existing medical and nursing classifications.
Main Methods:
- The vocabulary was created by merging terms from Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP).
- The Delphi technique, involving an expert panel over four rounds, was used for content compilation.
- An initial vocabulary of 558 terms across 10 central nursing themes was established.
Main Results:
- The developed vocabulary was validated for indexing nursing research.
- Based on validation, the expert panel refined the vocabulary's hierarchy and content.
- The new nursing vocabulary is set to be incorporated as a distinct theme into the Finnish thesaurus, FinMeSH.
Conclusions:
- The created controlled nursing vocabulary enhances information retrieval for evidence-based practice.
- Integration with FinMeSH will improve discoverability and standardization of nursing knowledge in Finland.