Ovid Medline Filters for Evidence-based Clinical Queries

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Lesson 6: Use filters to edit your Ovid Medline search to find articles and studies that provide good evidence.

These EBM filters are have been developed by by Ann McKibbon and Cindy Walker-Dilks of McMaster University and refined and updated by the Miner Library Reference at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

First, determine if your clinical question is related to therapy, diagnosis, etiology, or prognosis. Then, click on one of the links below, depending on the type of question you seek to answer. Clicking on the link will launch Ovid MEDLINE and run a search using the appropriate terms. Next, enter your subject terms. Then combine your subject terms with the filter terms using AND. Your results will more likely provide solid evidence for clinical decision making.

Therapeutics/Interventions--Diagnosis--Etiology--Prognosis

Therapy
Click on the above link to launch the filter in Ovid MEDLINE. The Therapeutics/Interventions filter search will retrieve the search strategy below up through line 16. Add your own term(s) and then combine this result with line 16.

1 exp research design/
2 exp clinical trial/
3 comparative study/ or placebos/
4 multicenter study.pt.
5 clinical trial$1.pt.
6 random$.ti,ab.
7 (double blind$ or triple blind$3).ti,ab.
8 placebo$.ti,ab.
9 (clinical adj trial$1).ti,ab.
10 exp epidemiologic research design/
11 (controlled clinical trial or randomized controlled trial).pt.
12 practice guideline.pt.
13 feasibility studies/
14 clinical protocols/
15 exp treatment outcome/
16 or/1-15

Diagnosis
Click on the above link to launch the filter in Ovid MEDLINE. The Diagnosis filter search will retrieve the search strategy below up through line 14. Add your own term(s) and then combine this result with line 14.

1 exp "sensitivity and specificity"/
2 false negative reactions/ or false positive reactions/
3 (sensitivity or specificity).ti,ab.
4 (predictive adj value$1).ti,ab.
5 (likelihood adj ratio$1).ti,ab.
6 (false adj (negative$1 or positive$1)).ti,ab.
7 (randomized controlled trial or controlled clinical trial).pt.
8 double blind method/ or single blind method/
9 practice guideline.pt.
10 consensus development conference$.pt.
11 random$.ti,ab.
12 random allocation/
13 (single blind$3 or double blind$3 or triple blind$3).ti,ab.
14 or/1-13

Etiology
Click on the above link to launch the filter in Ovid MEDLINE. The Etiology filter search will retrieve the search strategy below up through line 15. Add your own term(s) and then combine this result with line 15.

1 random$.ti,ab.
2 exp epidemiologic studies/
3 odds ratio/
4 cohort$.ti,ab.
5 (case$1 adj control$).ti,ab.
6 risk$.ti,ab.
7 (odds adj ratio$1).ti,ab.
8 causa$.ti,ab.
9 (relative$1 adj risk$).ti,ab.
10 predispos$.ti,ab.
11 (randomized controlled trial or controlled clinical trial).pt.
12 exp risk/
13 practice guideline.pt.
14 case-control studies/
15 or/1-14

Prognosis
Click on the above link to launch the filter in Ovid MEDLINE. The Prognosis filter search will retrieve the search strategy below up through line 14. Add your own term(s) and then combine this result with line 14.

1 exp cohort studies/
2 prognosis/
3 exp mortality/
4 exp morbidity/
5 (natural adj history).ti,ab.
6 prognos$.ti,ab.
7 course.ti,ab.
8 predict$.ti,ab.
9 exp "outcome assessment (health care)"/
10 outcomes$1.ti,ab.
11 (inception adj cohort$1).ti,ab.
12 disease progression/
13 exp survival analysis/
14 or/1-13

Next, Lesson 7: Tools for Critical Appraisal