Integrated Care Search: Paper on search filter development published in BMC Medical Research Methodology
Integrated Care Search (ICS) is a validated search filter giving ‘one-click’ access to the integrated care research literature in the PubMed database. It was launched at the 18th International Conference on Integrated Care ICIC18 held in Utrecht in May 2018. ICS is freely accessible on the IFIC website.
ICS was a joint project between IFIC, Central Coast Local Health District (NSW, Australia), Flinders Filters (Flinders University, South Australia), and The University of Newcastle (NSW, Australia). The filter’s creators have published a paper in BMC Medical Research Methodology on the process of creating the search filter entitled “Integrated Care Search: development and validation of a PubMed search filter for retrieving the integrated care research evidence“. The paper describes the process used to ensure methodological rigour while at the same time achieving a product that was of real-world use in a range of contexts. In fact, two versions of the search filter were developed: one optimised for recall, attractive to researchers undertaking comprehensive reviews of the literature; and the other optimised for precision, useful to anyone seeking fast, efficient access to integrated care research.
An earlier paper, entitled “Finding the Integrated Care evidence base in PubMed and beyond: a bibliometric study of the challenges”, was published in the International Journal of Integrated Care in August 2018. This paper described the bibliometric characteristics of published research on integrated care, particularly its diffuse nature and the difficulties of accurate retrieval via either subject headings or keywords.
The ICS project team hopes to undertake some evaluation of the search filter in 2020. They are interested in knowing who is using it, how it is being used, and how it could be improved. If you have used the search filter and have feedback for the team, please get in touch by emailing Suzanne Lewis (Suzanne.lewis@health.nsw.gov.au).