Once you have selected a PICOT question discuss your strategies for conducting a systematic search/review of the literature in order to answer your question. Explain how you will critically appraise the literature you have selected to determine the best evidence for this assignment. Length: A minimum of 300 words, not including references
When conducting a systematic search and review of the literature to answer a PICOT question, there are several key strategies and steps that should be followed. These strategies ensure that the search is comprehensive and rigorous and that the selected literature is critically appraised to determine the best evidence available. The following discussion outlines these strategies.
The first step in conducting a systematic search is to clearly define the PICOT question and identify the key concepts and terms. This involves breaking down the question into its individual components – population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and time period – and creating a search strategy based on these components. For example, if the PICOT question is “In patients with type 2 diabetes, does exercise (intervention) compared to medication (comparison) improve glycemic control (outcome) over a 6-month period (time period)?”, the key concepts and terms would include “type 2 diabetes”, “exercise”, “medication”, “glycemic control”, and “6-month period”.
Once the key concepts and terms have been identified, the next step is to select the appropriate databases for the search. This typically includes databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library, among others. In addition to databases, it is important to consider other sources such as grey literature, conference proceedings, and reference lists of relevant articles to ensure a comprehensive search.
During the search process, the identified key concepts and terms are used to construct search strings or queries. These queries are then entered into the selected databases to retrieve relevant articles. It is important to use appropriate Boolean operators (e.g., AND, OR) and truncation symbols to refine the search and ensure the retrieval of the most relevant articles. For example, the search string for the example PICOT question could be “type 2 diabetes AND exercise OR medication AND glycemic control AND 6-month period”.
To further refine the search and improve the accuracy of the results, it is important to use appropriate filters and limiters. These include limiting the search to specific study designs (e.g., randomized controlled trials) or publication dates (e.g., past 5 years) and applying filters for language or geographical regions. These filters and limiters help to focus the search on the most relevant articles and eliminate any irrelevant or low-quality studies.
Once the search is complete and the relevant articles have been retrieved, the next step is to critically appraise the literature. This involves evaluating the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the selected articles. Various tools and frameworks can be used for critical appraisal, such as the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses for quantitative studies, or the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tools for qualitative studies.
In addition to using these tools, it is important to consider the study design, sample size, data collection methods, data analysis, and results of each article. The strengths and limitations of each study should be carefully evaluated to determine the level of evidence provided. This process helps to identify any biases, inconsistencies, or gaps in the literature and allows for a thorough assessment of the quality and applicability of the evidence.
In conclusion, conducting a systematic search and review of the literature is a crucial step in answering a PICOT question. By following the strategies outlined above, researchers can ensure a comprehensive search, retrieval of relevant articles, and critical appraisal of the selected literature. This systematic approach helps to determine the best available evidence for the assignment and contributes to evidence-based practice.