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Applying evidence in the real world: a case study in library and information practice
Ruth M Sladek1, Jennifer Tieman
1Department of Palliative and Supportive Services, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Ruth.Sladek@flinders.edu.au
Health Information and Libraries Journal
|December 17, 2008
Summary
Methodological choices in developing a palliative care search filter improved its real-world utility. Optimizing search strategies enhances evidence implementation in practice.
Area of Science:
- Information Science
- Medical Informatics
- Evidence-Based Practice
Background:
- Methodological decisions in research impact the generalizability of findings to real-world practice.
- Developing effective search filters requires careful consideration of methodological choices.
- Palliative care research relies on accurate and efficient information retrieval.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the impact of specific methodological decisions on the development of a palliative care search filter.
- To assess the implications of these decisions for the practical implementation of the search filter.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of OVID MEDLINE field delimiters (.af., .tw., .mp.) for search strategy performance.
- Evaluation of filter performance using general medical literature and specialist palliative literature.
- Validation of a PubMed version of the developed search filter.
Main Results:
- The .af. delimiter improved sensitivity in OVID MEDLINE from 45.4% to 46.2%.
- Using .af. achieved 100% retrieval of relevant articles in specialist palliative literature, compared to 87.5% with .tw. or .mp.
- A PubMed version of the filter was successfully validated.
Conclusions:
- Reviewing and refining methodological decisions preserved the validity of the original study.
- Optimized search filter utility enhances evidence-based practice by improving information retrieval.
- Consideration of generalizability issues informs future research and effective evidence implementation.
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