Evidence-Based Filters for Medline (Ovid)

These saved searches act as filters to finding the "better" articles for answering a clinical problem in Medline. The better articles are based on valid and reliable scientific evidence.

The links below will connect Hawaii Medical Library's members to Ovid's Medline and retrieve the search strategies below. These links will only work for HML members with a valid library card. Members can then search for term(s) of interest and then combine their results with last line of the filter search. See the Diagnosis filter search for an example.

Disclaimer: These filters can be effective in finding good evidence, but are not meant to retrieve everything available. Using these filters may eliminate some relevant articles from your retrieval set. If you want to retrieve all articles on a topic, you should NOT use filters in your search strategy.

Acknowledgements: These strategies were adopted from searches developed by Ann McKibbon of McMaster University, the reference librarians at Edward G. Miner Library, University of Rochester Medical Center, and PubMed's Clinical Queries.

CAUTION: These filters are only available to Hawaii Medical Library members at HML, QMC, and Remote locations. The searches take some time to load. Be patient.

• Diagnosis
• Etiology
• Meta-Analysis, Reviews, Clinical Trials, and Other Publications
• Prognosis
• Therapy

Diagnosis

EBM filter search on Diagnosis (Medline, 1966-Present)

EBM filter search on Diagnosis (Medline, 1996-Present)

The Diagnosis filter search will retrieve the search strategy below up through line 8. Add your own term(s) and then combine this result with line 8.

1. exp "Sensitivity and Specificity"/
2. (sensitivity or specificity).ti,ab.
3. (likelihood adj ratio$1).ti,ab.
4. Likelihood Functions/
5. or/1-4
6. exp *Diabetes Mellitus/
7. 5 and 6

Etiology

EBM filter search on Etiology (Medline 1966-Present)

EBM filter search on Etiology (Medline, 1996-Present)

1. exp Risk/
2. exp Case-Control Studies/
3. exp Cohort Studies/
4. or/1-3

Meta-Analysis, Reviews, Clinical Trials, and Other Publications

EBM filter search on Meta-Analysis (Medline. 1966-Present)

EBM filter search on Meta-Analysis (Medline, 1996-Present)

1. Meta-Analysis/
2. meta-analysis.pt.
3. medline.ti,ab.
4. (metaanaly$ or (meta adj analy$5)).ti,ab.
5. overview$1.ti,ab.
6. clinical trial.pt.
7. multicenter study.pt.
8. review.pt.
9. systematic review$.ti,ab.
10. or/1-9

Prognosis

EBM filter search on Prognosis (Medline, 1966-Present)

EBM filter search on Prognosis (Medline, 1996-Present)

1. exp Prognosis
2. exp Cohort Studies/
3. Disease Progression/
4. exp Survival Analysis/
5. or/1-4

Therapy

EBM filter search on Therapy (Medline, 1966-Present)

EBM filter search on Therapy (Medline, 1996-Present)

1. random$.ti,ab.
2. clinical trial.pt.
3. practice guideline.pt.
4. Double-Blind Method/ or Single-Blind Method/
5. placebo$1.ti,ab.
6. or/1-5