Embase: PICO search - University of Bath Library

PICO is a model that helps medical practitioners to define a research question. In Embase, PICO stands for: Population: the problem, disease or condition to ... SkiptoMainContent Itlookslikeyou'reusingInternetExplorer11orolder.ThiswebsiteworksbestwithmodernbrowserssuchasthelatestversionsofChrome,Firefox,Safari,andEdge.Ifyoucontinuewiththisbrowser,youmayseeunexpectedresults. UniversityofBathLibraryLibraryEmbasePICOsearch searchthelibrarywebpages Search Embase:PICOsearch IntroductionQuicksearchEmtreesearchPICOsearchMoresearchtypesLimitsandFiltersManagingyoursearches WhatisPICO? PICO isamodelthathelpsmedicalpractitionerstodefine aresearchquestion.  In Embase,PICO standsfor: Population: theproblem,diseaseorconditiontoberesearched Intervention: theproposedsolution,e.g.amedicine Comparison: isthisinterventiontobecomparedagainstanalternativeintervention,forexampleaplacebo? Outcome: whatwouldyouliketomeasure,forexample(absenceof)pain?   PICOsearchexample Tofindoutwhetheramoxycillinisaneffectivetreatmentforearinfection(acuteotitismedia),bymeasuringtheoutcomeofwhetherthepatientstillhasearache(otalgia): Youcanchoosewhethertoaddsynonymsforyourterms.Thiscanbeparticularlyusefulfordrugterms.  Fortheexampleabove,amoxycillin,ifyouincludesynonymsyouwillalsosearchfor itsfullchemicalname 6-[[amino(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetyl]amino]-3,3-dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2-carboxylicacidandtradenamessuchastrimoxandmoxitab.It'sbesttoreadthelistofsynonymsanddecidewhichtoincludeorexclude:someofthemmaybeunhelpful! PICOsearchoptions Atthetopofthescreenyoucanchoosefrom4 differentsearchstrategyoptions.  Theoptionscanalsobeselectedfromthedrop-downarrownexttoeachsearchterm: Tofindthemaximumnumberofresults,usethe/broption. ThissearchesforthetermintheEmtreeindexanditssubheadings plus itdoesafreetextsearchofallfieldsofthedatabase. /exp meansitwillsearchfortheterminthe Emtree indexanditssubheadings /demeans fortheterminthe Emtree indexwithoutsubheadings  Use/mjforoneormoreofyourterms ifyouarefindingtoomanyresultsanddon'tneedacomprehensivesearchoftheliterature. /mj limitsyoursearchtoarticleswheretheindexershavedecidedthatthetopicisthemajorfocusofthejournalarticle. ButadisadvantageofthePICOsearchisthatyoucannotselectmorethanoneofthese4options.IfyouusetheEmtree searchyoucanapplyboth/expand/mjtoyourterm. MorebenefitsofPICOsearch Youdon'thavetousethePICOsearchformforatraditionalPICO-typesearch,itcanbeusedforanysearch.  TermsyouenteronasinglelinewillbecombinedusingOR  TermsyouenterondifferentlineswillbecombinedwithAND Themainbenefitof thisoveranEmtreesearchisthatyoucanenterallofthesynonymsforyoursearchterm. Forexample,thetermPharmacy(Shop)wasintroducedintoEmtreein2019. SearchingforthisinEmtreewillgiveyouabout87,000results. Butithas13synonymswhichwon'tbesearchedinEmtree: apothecary;chemist(shop);chemistshop;chemist'sshop;communitypharmacy;communitypharmacyservices;pharmaceuticalservice;pharmaceuticalservices;pharmaceuticalservices,online;pharmacies;pharmacy;retailpharmacy. ThisPICOsearchwillgiveabout782,000results: Video Elsevierprovidesa2minutevideoonhowtousethePICOsearchform.   <>