Searching Databases Research Paper

Discussion: Searching Databases When you decide to purchase a new car, you first decide what is important to you. If mileage and dependability are the important factors, you will search for data focused more on these factors and less on color options and sound systems. The same holds true when searching for research evidence to guide your clinical inquiry and professional decisions. Developing a formula for an answerable, researchable question that addresses your need will make the search process much more effective. One such formula is the PICO(T) format. In this Discussion, you will transform a clinical inquiry into a searchable question in PICO(T) format, so you can search the electronic databases more effectively and efficiently. You will share this PICO(T) question and examine strategies you might use to increase the rigor and effectiveness of a database search on your PICO(T) question. To Prepare: Review the materials offering guidance on using databases, performing keyword searches, and developing PICO(T) questions provided in the Resources. Review the Resources for guidance and develop a PICO(T) question of interest to you for further study. By Day 3 of Week 4 Post your PICO(T) question, the search terms used, and the names of at least two databases used for your PICO(T) question. Then, describe your search results in terms of the number of articles returned on original research and how this changed as you added search terms using your Boolean operators. Finally, explain strategies you might make to increase the rigor and effectiveness of a database search on your PICO(T) question. Be specific and provide examples. Searching Databases Research Paper

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Evidence-based models use the mechanism to frame a question, find, analyze, evaluate, and repeat as appropriate. Evidence-based nursing is a method based on selection, analysis, evaluation as well as the integration of current, scientifically important, and meaningful research (Horntvedt et al,2018). It is not a matter of generating new knowledge or validating established information, but rather of integrating current research so that it becomes applicable to clinical decision-making.

PICO (T) elements include:

Patient /Problem/Population, that is, who are the patients in question? The sex, age, geographic location, or unique characteristics that may be vital to the query.

Intervention/Indicator, What is the diagnostic procedure, management strategy, or presentation approach that you’re interested in?

Comparison, Is there an alternate management or control technique that you would like to equate with an action or indicator?

The outcome, What are the relevant patient consequences of the intervention? and

(optional) Type of Study or Time element or, What clinical domain doe s your question fall under?. ?  What study types are likely to have the information?  What time periods should be considered Searching Databases Research Paper

Sample Question using PICO (T)

Clinical example

Patient A, a man, would like to explore the prospect of a vasectomy. He says he’s read that vasectomy causes an increase in the risk of testicular cancer later in life. You understand the risk is minimal, but you want to give him a more detailed answer.

Population-Adult males

Intervention-Vasectomy

Comparison-Not having a vasectomy

Outcomes-Testicular cancer

The question that is likely to be formed from this assessment is- does having a vasectomy done to increase the chances or risk of getting testicular cancer later in life in men?

The premiere databases currently are CINAHL and PubMed, they contain Systematic Reviews, which are considered the highest level of evidence in EBP; they are also known to be the primary research tool for nurses and allied health practitioners.

On the original search, I used the term “Vasectomy” on the database PubMed and used the filter option so as to get articles relevant in the past 5 years and got 391 results. The Boolean operator “and” was what I used in my second search, looking up “Vasectomy and Testicular Cancer”  this time the search narrowed down to 10. The use of Boolean terminology to construct a more efficient search for more appropriate outcomes is always advised.  I applied the Boolean terms to my next quest and obtained more results.

The study concluded that it is necessary to scan at least two separate databases to obtain approximately 90 percent of all applicable literature on the topic (Ho et al, 2016). The approach to improve the rigor and efficacy of database searches is to use alternate terminology to narrow down to the most direct outcomes.

Results can be optimized by adding limit values. Applying limiters to your quest would enable one to target searches on the most appropriate and important information to ensure that you do not spend time on information that might not be useful. Limiting searches to particular date ranges and evidence-based activities(Booth et al,2016), for example, searching a CINAHL database, there is a limiter for evidence-based practice searches the interest field for the value “Evidence-Based Practice.” Using  this limiter allows one  to limit results to research articles, articles about evidence-based practice, research from evidence-based practice journals as well as commentaries on research studies Searching Databases Research Paper

Conclusion

Establishing a culture of evidence-based practice for nursing within a hospital is not a simple feat. It requires the convergence of scientific experience, patient principles, and the best scientific results The real quest for best quality clinical testing data can be daunting to many. By using the PICO(T) format, the search process will be simplified and the best possible data will be presented to validate clinical recommendations and to investigate alternative therapies and procedures.

References

Booth, A., Noyes, J., Flemming, K., Gerhardus, A., Wahlster, P., Van Der Wilt, G. J., … & Rehfuess, E. (2016). Guidance on choosing qualitative evidence synthesis methods for use in health technology assessments of complex interventions. Bremen (DE): Integrate-HTA.

Ho, G. J., Liew, S. M., Ng, C. J., Hisham Shunmugam, R., & Glasziou, P. (2016). Development of a Search Strategy for an Evidence-Based Retrieval Service. PloS one, 11(12), e0167170. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0167170

Horntvedt, M. E. T., Nordsteien, A., Fermann, T., & Severinsson, E. (2018). Strategies for teaching evidence-based practice in nursing education: a thematic literature review. BMC medical education, 18(1), 172. Searching Databases Research Paper