Clinical Research VII. Systematic search: how to look for medical documents

Abstract

In the process of responding to questions generated during medical care, the number of articles appearing in the search is so vast that a strategy must be considered. This article describes the process to find and select the information to help us respond the needs of our patients. The judgment of the quality and relevance of the answer depends on each reader. Initially you have to look in places where there is medical arbitration for publications, reasons why we recommend PubMed. Start the search once the acronym PICO breakdown, where P is for patients, I intervention, C comparator and O outcome or result; these words are used as MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) and are linked with boolean terms (and, or and not). The acronym PICO shares components with the classical model of the Architecture of the Research described by Dr. Alvan R. Feinstein. A good search should participate in the response to our question in the first 20 articles, if it does not happen, the search must be more specific with the use of filters.