Validation of Search Filters for Identifying Pediatric Studies in PubMed

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.09.012

The Journal of Pediatrics

Volume 162, Issue 3, March 2013, Pages 629-634.e2

Portions of this study were presented as a poster during the Cochrane Colloquium, October 18-22, 2010, Keystone, CO.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.09.012 Get rights and content

Objective

To identify and validate PubMed search filters for retrieving studies including children and to develop a new pediatric search filter for PubMed.

Study design

We developed 2 different datasets of studies to evaluate the performance of the identified pediatric search filters, expressed in terms of sensitivity, precision, specificity, accuracy, and number needed to read (NNR). An optimal search filter will have a high sensitivity and high precision with a low NNR.

Results

In addition to the PubMed Limits: All Child: 0-18 years filter (in May 2012 renamed to PubMed Filter Child: 0-18 years), 6 search filters for identifying studies including children were identified: 3 developed by Kastner et al, 1 developed by BestBets, one by the Child Health Field, and 1 by the Cochrane Childhood Cancer Group. Three search filters (Cochrane Childhood Cancer Group, Child Health Field, and BestBets) had the highest sensitivity (99.3%, 99.5%, and 99.3%, respectively) but a lower precision (64.5%, 68.4%, and 66.6% respectively) compared with the other search filters. Two Kastner search filters had a high precision (93.0% and 93.7%, respectively) but a low sensitivity (58.5% and 44.8%, respectively). They failed to identify many pediatric studies in our datasets. The search terms responsible for false-positive results in the reference dataset were determined. With these data, we developed a new search filter for identifying studies with children in PubMed with an optimal sensitivity (99.5%) and precision (69.0%).

Conclusion

Search filters to identify studies including children either have a low sensitivity or a low precision with a high NNR. A new pediatric search filter with a high sensitivity and a low NNR has been developed.

Section snippets

Methods

To identify relevant search filters we searched PubMed on April 7, 2008, for “Information Storage and Retrieval/methods [MeSH] AND (pediatric OR paediatric OR child OR children),” where MeSH stands for Medical Subject Heading. In addition, the internet was searched for “pediatric search filter” using Google. The Cochrane Child Health Field (CHF) was contacted for more information on pediatric search filters, and finally, the Cochrane Childhood Cancer Group⁷ (CCG) filter was included.

The

Results

Seven pediatric search filters were identified. The child filters of the CCG⁷ and of the CHF³ were developed for PubMed. The BestBets¹ and Kastner² search strategies were originally designed for Medline accessed via Ovid. We adapted these search filters for PubMed. The PubMed search filter is part of the limits option in PubMed.⁴ This filter was recently renamed by PubMed as the Child: 0-18 years filter.⁴ Details of the search filters can be found in Appendix 3 (available at www.jpeds.com).

Discussion

PubMed is one of the most widely used medical databases among health care professionals and has reached over 21 million records representing articles in the biomedical literature in 2012.¹⁰ To be able to keep up-to-date with relevant research findings, health care professionals must be able to use search filters that are both sensitive (ie, retrieving as many relevant publications as possible) and precise (ie, identifying as few irrelevant studies as possible). This is the first study in which

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: E.L. and E.vD. are funded in part by KiKa, Children Cancer Free (Stichting Kinderen Kankervrij). The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Original ArticleValidation of Search Filters for Identifying Pediatric Studies in PubMed

Objective

Study design

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Methods

Results

Discussion

Age-specific search strategies for Medline

J Med Internet Res

Usefulness of systematic review search strategies in finding child health systematic reviews in Medline

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med

Optimal search strategies for retrieving systematic reviews form Medline: analytical survey

BMJ

Original Article
Validation of Search Filters for Identifying Pediatric Studies in PubMed