Basic Search Strategy in PubMed
Let's begin by conducting a basic search in PubMed. PubMed is the interface we use to search the MEDLINE database. .
- Use PICO to formulate your search strategy. Select terms used to develop your clinical question using PICO. Begin by searching the patient problem and intervention. For this example, the patient problem is diabetes, and the intervention is nutrition counseling. Enter both terms in the PubMed search box. Combine your terms using the Boolean operator AND. Using AND to combine terms tells the database to look for both terms in the title and abstract of the resources indexed in PubMed.
- On the lower right of the PubMed results page you will see the "Search details." Click "See more..." to review the details of the search strategy that was translated by PubMed.
- The search details will open. You will see that PubMed has mapped your terms to the MeSH term or medical subject heading used by indexers to organize resources in the database. If the appropriate MeSH term was not mapped to the keyword you entered. You will need to search the MeSH database. For more information about searching and using the MeSH database visit our PubMed guide.
For more information about searching PubMed visit our guide on Steps to a Successful Search.
Other Evidence-Based Practice Resources
- ACP Journal Club Archives This link opens in a new window
ACP Journal Club's general purpose is to select from the biomedical literature articles that report original studies and systematic reviews that warrant immediate attention by physicians attempting to keep pace with important advances in internal medicine. These articles are summarized in value-added abstracts and commented on by clinical experts.
- BMJ Best Practice This link opens in a new window
Best Practice brings together regularly updated research evidence and guidelines with peer-reviewed expert opinion. Healthcare professionals get information they can trust quickly — and in an intuitive format that recognizes the demands of everyday clinical practice. Best Practice is the only point of care tool to include a clinical workflow component, anticipating clinical questions and providing answers in seconds without sifting through large quantities of text.
- ClinicalKey This link opens in a new window
ClinicalKey is a dynamic clinical resource designed to provide physicians with fast, clinically-relevant answers from Elsevier’s enormous library of proprietary medical and surgical content. ClinicalKey was built specifically to meet the search needs of physicians that a clinical resource be comprehensive, trusted, and fast.
- PubMed This link opens in a new window
PubMed comprises more than 26 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.
