University of Denver: Worksheet 2 Search Plan for Healthcare Research

This assignment, a student's Worksheet 2, outlines the process of creating a systematic search plan for healthcare research, specifically addressing a PICO question related to physiotherapy for adults with broken hips. The student details their chosen PICO question and identifies key search terms and synonyms. They select and justify their database choices, including MEDLINE and PubMed, and list additional search methods. The assignment also emphasizes the importance of understanding database-specific search functionalities, such as Boolean operators and truncation symbols. The goal is to comprehensively and efficiently identify relevant studies for their research question, laying the groundwork for Worksheet 3, which involves implementing the search strategy and evaluating the results.

Worksheet 2
Name:
Worksheet 2: Search Plan
Purpose: The purpose of this worksheet is to use one of the PICO/COPES questions you brainstormed in Worksheet 1 to plan for a
systematic search of electronic databases using terms that are most likely to comprehensively and efficiently identify the studies that
are specific both to your problem of interest, and are highest on the efficacy research hierarchy.This worksheet should guide your
actual search in as reflected in Worksheet 3.
Tip:
Think about the most common synonyms for the key terms you identify. In some cases, there are no common synonyms. Usually yoga
is just called yoga. Keep in mind that most electronic search engines will be looking for the terms you enter to show up in the title,
abstract, or key words. So, we spend some time thinking carefully about the different, but common, ways researchers are likely to
describe the concepts you’re after.
Q1. Choose one of your PICO questions that you formulated above and write it out here:
Tip: USE instructor feedback from Worksheet 1 to refine and edit your PICO.
[The PICO question is can adults suffering from broken hips when undertake physiotherapy heal faster than those who do not
undertake physiotherapy?]
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Worksheet 2
Search Planning WorksheetEXAMPLE
Four Elements in a Well-
Formulated Question
Client Type
and Problem
P
What You
Might Do
I
Alternative Course
of Action
C
What You Want
To Accomplish
O
Insert Your Question
in Spaces on
Right.This should
still read like a
sentence, with each
part “filed” under
the correct column.
If young men of color who
are first time parents
Are provided with Triple P
parent training
Or traditional classroom-based
parenting programs
Which one will result in less
harsh parenting?
Insert Key Terms
from Above:
Remember that less,
more, greater,
reduced—any terms
that are about
direction are not key
terms.
Young
Men
Of Color
Parent
Triple P Classroom-based Harsh parenting
Insert Synonyms for
Each of the Key
Terms:
Usually just a few key
terms are sufficient.
You may need to add
new key terms if you
discover them in your
search efforts, or you
are trying to be more
inclusive. Also, use
the singular (not
plural) form here.
Young: teen, adolescent,
youth
Men: male, boy
Of color: Black, African
American, Latino, Hispanic,
minority
Parent: caregiver
Triple P: Positive Parenting
Program
Classroom-based: school, class Harsh parenting: abuse,
maltreatment
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Worksheet 2
Search Planning Worksheet (Fill In with your Chosen Question and Terms Here)
Four Elements in a Well-
Formulated Question
Client Type
and Problem
P
What You
Might Do
I
Alternative Course
of Action
C
What You Want
To Accomplish
O
Insert Your Question
in Spaces on
Right.This should still
read like a sentence,
with each part “filed”
under the correct
column.
can adults with broken hips when
undertaking physiotherapy
Than those without therapy heal faster
Insert Key Terms
from Above:
Remember that less,
more, greater, reduced
—any terms that are
about direction are not
key terms.
Adults: men and women with
broken hips
Physiotherapy exercises Plaster or supporting
equipment
Straightening the hips
Insert Synonyms for
Each of the Key
Terms:
Usually just a few key
terms are sufficient.
You may need to add
new key terms if you
discover them in your
search efforts, or you
are trying to be more
inclusive. Also, use the
singular (not plural)
form here.
Men: above 25 years. Fat or slim
Women: above 25 years.
Pregnant or not
Walking or under a
physiotherapy care giver
Clutches
Internal supportive equipment
Muscle stretching
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Worksheet 2
Q2: List one database you will search that is available through the University of Denver (e.g., PsycINFO, MEDLINE, SWAB,
CINAHL, etc.):
MEDLINE
Q3: State why you chose this database (think about the fit with topic, size of the database, etc):
It is a database with academic medical journals dealing with life-science and biomedicine
Q4: List another database you will search that is available to the general public (e.g., Google Scholar, Pubmed, ERIC, or
Ageline).
PubMed
Q5: State why you chose this database (think about the fit with topic, size of the database, complement to the one listed above):
The database contains records of patients who seek different treatment or with previous medical records
Question 6:
List two other search methods (search a registry or clearinghouse [e.g., NREPP, CEBC], contact an expert in the field, hand-
search a journal in the library, search a government database, search the website of the intervention developer, work with a
librarian etc.). Please be specific (name the expert, journal, government database).Remember, this should be something that
helps you to find a research study. So, a clinical expert might know a lot about intervening, but may not know much about specific
studies. So, consider a research expert. Similarly, government websites may only list statistics, but not research studies.
1.hospitals website
2. government website
Question 7:
State why you have chosen each of these sources:
1. hospital website contain information about patients and their history
2. the government usually a list of all its people
IMPORTANT: Read over the user/how to information about each database or registry you use. Be sure to look for search term limits,
truncation symbols and Boolean operators. These are different across databases. You will not use a search engine to its best advantage
if you do not do this.
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Worksheet 2
Question 8:
Have read over the user/how to information about each database or registry that you have used? If not, do so now.
Yes
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