Using the PICO Framework to Improve PubMed Searches
Author Information
Author(s): Connie Schardt, Martha B Adams, Thomas Owens, Sheri Keitz, Paul Fontelo
Primary Institution: Duke University Medical Center
Hypothesis
Can the PICO framework improve the relevancy of search results in PubMed?
Conclusion
The study suggests that using the PICO framework may lead to higher precision in search results, but the small sample size prevents a definitive conclusion.
Supporting Evidence
- Participants using the PICO templates had higher precision scores for each question than those using the standard PubMed interface.
- The study involved 31 residents who were asked to search for relevant articles using three different search protocols.
- Precision was defined as the ratio of relevant citations retrieved to the total number of citations retrieved.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether a special way of asking questions called PICO helps doctors find better answers in PubMed. It seems to help, but more research is needed.
Methodology
A randomized trial comparing three different PubMed search interfaces, two using the PICO framework and one standard interface.
Limitations
The small sample size and the simplicity of the questions may limit the generalizability of the results.
Participant Demographics
Participants were interns and residents from an academic medical center in the US.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% confidence intervals were calculated for the precision for each question.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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