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.
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PICO(T) Question: In elderly patients with hypertension, does the use of diuretics as monotherapy compared to combination therapy result in better control of blood pressure and fewer adverse effects?
Search Terms: “elderly hypertension” AND “diuretics” AND “monotherapy” OR “combination therapy” AND “blood pressure control” AND “adverse effects”
Databases used: PubMed and CINAHL
Search Results: The initial search on PubMed using the terms “elderly hypertension” AND “diuretics” returned over 2,000 articles, but narrowing the search to include “monotherapy” OR “combination therapy” AND “blood pressure control” AND “adverse effects” reduced the number to around 200 articles. CINAHL produced similar results with around 200 articles returned from the narrowed search.
To increase the rigor and effectiveness of the search, I would consider using more specific search terms such as “elderly hypertension” AND “thiazide diuretics” OR “loop diuretics” AND “monotherapy” OR “combination therapy” AND “blood pressure control” AND “adverse effects.” I would also consider searching for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as a way to increase the level of evidence and rigor in the search results. Additionally, I would consider searching for articles published in the last 5 years to ensure that the information is current and relevant. Another strategy would be to use the Advanced Search option in the databases to filter the results by date, language, and publication type which will help in narrowing down the results to the most relevant and recent studies.
