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PICO and evidence based decision making sources

Information Skills 3 (Year 2)

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This presentation outlines how to prepare a search for information and also looks at some sources for EBM

You then have the opportunity for some practice.

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Why is it important to use databases when searching for information?

I use... all the time to find articles, especially for [SSiPs and] CATs!

Final year HYMS students answers…

I regularly use ... if I am writing or looking for research evidence to support my learning.

When searching for a paper to critically appraise...

(from a Library survey)

For every essay my first step is a multi-term advanced search on Embase

Each week there is an evidence based aspect to our PBL studies, using these ... enables me to find relevant documents .. I can incorporate into my learning ..

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Prepare using PICO

To structure your thinking and your search

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P is for…

Patient

Problem

Population or

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I is for… Intervention (or treatment)

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C is for… Comparison or control

Placebo?

Natural remedy?

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O is for…

Outcomes

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PICO

How does it work?

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Define your topic

Is it better to treat women with postnatal depression with CBT or drug therapy for better mental health

Break this down…

P

I

C

O

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So, this gives…

P: Postnatal depression or depression�Women or woman (exclude)

I: CBT or etc.

C: Drug therapy

O: Mental health (exclude)

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P

Postnatal depression or depression

Women or woman

Patient: wom?n (exclude this from the search)

Problem: (postnatal OR postpartum) 

AND depression

Patient:

Patient with burns:

burn*

scald*

[widen search to wounds/bites/ulcer?]

[age or sex of patient relevant? No: unnecessary limit. (But if was going to include, include after complete search.)]

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I

CBT

Intervention/treatment: CBT OR cognitive behav* therap* OR counsel*

Intervention:

Honey:

honey

[Include reference to topical?]

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C

Drug therapy

Comparison/Control: drug therap* OR pharmacotherap*

Comparison:

Other wound dressing types:

(silver or conventional or sterile linen...)

near/? dress*

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O

Mental health (exclude)

Outcome: mental health (exclude this from the search)

Outcome:

heal*

Re-infect* or reinfect*

(is it necessary to search for this? Check P+I+C results before including)

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PEO

How does it work?

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P

Women

Patient: women or woman (can be limited at the end of the search)

Patient:

Patient with burns:

burn*

scald*

[widen search to wounds/bites/ulcer?]

[age or sex of patient relevant? No: unnecessary limit. (But if was going to include, include after complete search.)]

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E

HPV

Exposure: HPV or Human papillomavirus

Intervention:

Honey:

honey

[Include reference to topical?]

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O

Cervical cancer

Outcome: (cancer* or tumo?r* or neoplasm*) AND cervic*

Outcome:

heal*

Re-infect* or reinfect*

(is it necessary to search for this? Check P+I+C results before including)

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Where next with PICO/PEO

Finding the evidence

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Consider what you are looking for and where

A study found that you'd have to read

227 articles in the Lancet

or 118 articles in the New England Journal of Medicine

to get the relevant information that would be contained in

1 Evidence-Based Medicine article.

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Contact us at

library@hyms.ac.uk