Effectiveness of the Database Search

• Review the Resources and identify a clinical issue of interest that can form the basis of a clinical inquiry.
• Review the materials offering guidance on using databases, performing keyword searches, and developing PICO(T) questions provided in the Resources.
• Based on the clinical issue of interest and using keywords related to the clinical issue of interest, search at least two different databases in the Walden Library to identify at least four relevant peer-reviewed articles related to your clinical issue of interest. You should not be using systematic reviews for this assignment, select original research articles.
• Review the Resources for guidance and develop a PICO(T) question of interest to you for further study. It is suggested that an Intervention-type PICOT question be developed as these seem to work best for this course.

*Library tip:

Walden Library recommends starting your search broadly with one concept or search word and adding more elements one at a time. Depending on your topic, the evidence will not necessarily address all the aspects of your PICO(T) question in one article. Select the most important concepts to search and find the best evidence available, even if that means assembling evidence from multiple articles.

• Nursing Research PageLinks to an external site.– databases and resources specifically for Nursing
• Evidence-Based Practice guide: Evidence TypesLinks to an external site.
• Nursing and Health research videosLinks to an external site., including a 15-minute introduction
• Get HelpLinks to an external site.page, including Ask a LibrarianLinks to an external site. service

Quick Answers:

• How do I find an article that reports on research that uses a specific methodology?Links to an external site.
• How do I find original or primary research that analyzes empirical data?Links to an external site.
• What is the Find at Walden button?Links to an external site.

DISCUSSION

REMEMBER THE EXISTING CLINICAL ISSUE USED BEFORE WAS  MEDICATION ADHERENT AMOUNG PATIENT OF CHROIC DISEASE: COMTINUE WITH IT

Post a brief description of your clinical issue of interest. This clinical issue will remain the same for the entire course and will be the basis for the development of your PICOT question. 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.

Clinical Issue of Interest:

Medication Adherence Among Patients with Chronic Diseases

Search Results and Search Strategy:

You’re tasked with searching at least two different databases in the Walden Library to find at least four relevant peer-reviewed articles related to your clinical issue.

Let’s say you start with a broad search using keywords like “medication adherence chronic disease” in one database. This might yield a large number of results. As you refine your search by adding more specific terms like “intervention,” “patient education,” or specific chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension), you should notice a change in the number of articles returned. By using Boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT, you can combine or exclude keywords to narrow down or expand your search results.

For instance:

• “medication adherence chronic disease” -> 500 articles
• “medication adherence chronic disease AND diabetes” -> 150 articles
• “medication adherence chronic disease AND intervention” -> 80 articles
• “medication adherence chronic disease AND intervention AND patient education” -> 30 articles

Strategies to Increase Rigor and Effectiveness of the Database Search:

1. Use Controlled Vocabulary and Synonyms: Identify relevant medical subject headings (MeSH) or controlled vocabulary terms used in databases and include synonyms or related terms in your search. For example, “adherence” could also be referred to as “compliance” in some articles.
2. Combination of Search Terms: Employ various combinations of keywords using Boolean operators to refine or broaden your search. Experiment with different combinations to capture a comprehensive range of articles related to your topic.
3. Filtering by Study Types or Methodologies: Some databases allow you to filter results by study types (e.g., randomized controlled trials, cohort studies). Ensure to focus on original research articles rather than systematic reviews or meta-analyses.
4. Utilize Database Features: Take advantage of database-specific search features, such as truncation (*) to capture variations of a word stem or limit functions to filter results by publication date, study design, etc.
5. Check Cited References and Related Articles: Once you find relevant articles, review their reference lists and explore related articles to identify additional sources that might not have appeared in your initial search.

By incorporating these strategies and refining your search iteratively, you can enhance the rigor and effectiveness of your database search, ensuring a more comprehensive collection of pertinent articles related to medication adherence among patients with chronic diseases.