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The contribution of different information sources for adverse effects data
1Health Services Research, University of York, CRD, Heslington, York, United Kingdom. spg3@york.ac.uk
Searching multiple databases is crucial for comprehensive adverse effects data collection. A combination of sources, excluding MEDLINE, was necessary to identify all relevant references in this systematic review case study.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacovigilance
- Medical Informatics
- Systematic Reviews
Background:
- Identifying all relevant data for systematic reviews is essential for accurate meta-analyses.
- The effectiveness of various data sources in pharmacovigilance research is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the contribution of different information sources in identifying adverse effects data.
- To determine the optimal combination of sources for comprehensive data retrieval in systematic reviews.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of thiazolidinedione-related fractures in type 2 diabetes mellitus served as a case study.
- Searched multiple databases including Science Citation Index (SCI), BIOSIS Previews, and EMBASE.
- Calculated sensitivity, precision, and number needed to read for individual and combined sources.
Main Results:
- 58 relevant references were identified for meta-analysis.
- Science Citation Index (SCI) yielded the most references (35), followed by BIOSIS Previews (27) and EMBASE (24).
- A comprehensive combination of 9 sources, excluding MEDLINE, was required to retrieve all relevant references.
Conclusions:
- Multiple data sources are necessary to identify all relevant references for systematic reviews.
- The optimal search strategy involves a combination of specialized databases and grey literature.
- MEDLINE was not essential in the minimum combination of sources for this specific case study.
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