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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Dermatological publications in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. An analysis of 1966-2004 Medline papers.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the publications in dermatology cited in the Medline from 6 countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from 1966 to 2004. METHODS: Medline was searched with the aid of Internet provider Pubmed using the same strategy at a given time for all countries. RESULTS: At the time of search, the Medline listed biomedical research papers from the GCC countries totaled 12837. Of these, 140 were in Dermatology. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia followed by Kuwait was by far the most prolific contributor, whereas almost none were noted from Bahrain. The publications were highest during the year 2002 (19) followed by 2003 (13), most of them being in the English language in the International Journal of Dermatology (60 citations) and Pediatric Dermatology (13 citations). CONCLUSION: Though the GCC countries have seen a relatively small period in the history of development of medical research, data show that they are trying to keep pace with the rest of the developed world. What remains to be exploited is their good economy that should be directed to provide better infrastructure and improve the quality of training programs. Professional societies within the region must play an active role in ensuring optimum and judicious use of funds.

Dermatology↗

A strategy for assigning new concepts in the MEDLINE database.

The MeSH indexing done in MEDLINE is engineered by humans. Humans define the MeSH concepts and human indexers assign MeSH terms to MEDLINE records. Methods have been designed in an attempt to assign MeSH terms to MEDLINE documents automatically with some success. Methods have also been designed to locate useful phrases as potential concepts for indexing. However, little work has been done on the problem of how one might automatically index with the concepts represented by such phrases. Here we examine this issue and present a method for such indexing.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

Biomedical database inter-connectivity: an experiment linking MIM, GENBANK, and META-1 via MEDLINE.

The linkage of disparate biomedical databases is an important goal of the Unified Medical Language (UMLS) Project. We conducted an experiment to investigate the feasibility of using UMLS resources to link databases in clinical genetics and molecular biology. References from MIM ("Mendelian Inheritance in Man") were lexically mapped to the equivalent citations in MEDLINE. The MeSH major subject headings by which the citations in a particular MIM entry had been indexed were used to develop a "genetic-disorder-centered view of the world" in Meta-1 (the first official version of the UMLS Metathesaurus). Our hypothesis was that these MeSH subject headings could provide access to a "semantic neighborhood" in Meta-1 that would be relevant to a particular genetic disorder. By browsing in this "semantic neighborhood," a user could select various combinations of terms with which to search MEDLINE through an interface between Meta-1 and Grateful Med. Such searches might retrieve citations that were more recent than those in MIM or that provided useful supplementary information. Since some MEDLINE records contain pointers to entries in GENBANK, information about genetic sequences related to a particular clinical genetic disorder could also be retrieved. This scenario was implemented for a small number of MIM entries, providing a concrete demonstration that linking disparate electronic databases in an important subdomain of biomedicine is relatively straightforward.

Databases, Factual↗

Assessment of methodologic search filters in MEDLINE.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the retrieval characteristics of methodologic textwords and MeSH terms in MEDLINE for identifying methodologically sound studies on the etiology, prognosis, diagnosis, and prevention and treatment of disorders in general adult medicine. DESIGN: Comparison of methodologic search terms and phrases for the retrieval of citations in MEDLINE with a manual hand search of the literature (the gold standard) for 10 internal and general medicine journals for 1986 and 1991. MEASURES: Sensitivity (proportion of methodologically sound and correct topic studies retrieved) and specificity (proportion of unsound or wrong topic articles not retrieved) of the search strategies. RESULTS: The individual terms yielding the best sensitivity for 1991 by purpose category were: risk (tw) for etiology; exp cohort studies for prognosis; sensitivity (tw) for diagnosis; and clinical trial (pt) for treatment. The corresponding terms for 1986 were: risk (tw) for etiology; prognosis: (tw) for prognosis; sensitivity (tw) for diagnosis; and random: (tw) for treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of methodologic MeSH terms and textwords varied greatly in MEDLINE and changed from 1986 to 1991. More complex search strategies may be required to optimize retrieval.

Information Storage and Retrieval↗

Matching references with MEDLINE via TCP/IP.

Bibliographic references are an important part of databases and information resources used by clinicians and biomedical researchers. In addition to the obvious clerical advantages of standard references, bibliographic references can also be used as links to related items in different data sets. This paper describes an effort that involved matching references from a variety of disparate databases to canonical MEDLINE references. The references matched were those involved in a database unification project which is part of the Mouse Genome Informatics effort at The Jackson Laboratory. Software was developed to take advantage of a commercially available retrieval engine which accesses MEDLINE on CD-ROM disks. The software permits client programs on UNIX/C, and potentially other environments, to access unabridged MEDLINE via networks supporting the TCP/IP protocols. The matching process described can be used as a model for similar efforts with different research or clinical data sets, as well as different hardware or software environments.

Animals↗

[Suitability of MEDLINE for the study of the Spanish scientific production in biomedicine and medical sciences. A comparative appraisal with the Science Citation Index].

BACKGROUND: MedLine (ML) database in CD-ROM, one of the most popular sources for bibliographic citations and abstracts of medical-biomedical literature, is also being widely used as a bibliometric tool. The usefulness of MedLine for bibliometric purposes needs to be evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A database (BDML) of the Spanish publications in medical-biomedical journals has been derived from ML in the period 1990-1994 searching for SPAIN or ESPANA in the author address (AD) and/or in the country of publication (CP) fields. Retrieved documents correspond to original and review articles. The journals were assigned to SCI categories and impact factors according to the Journal Citation Reports (1990 and 1994 issues). BDML contents were compared with the documents indexed in SCI-SSCI databases (1990-1993) as reported (Camí J et al. Med Clin [Barc] 1997; 109: 481-496). RESULTS: Spanish production in medical and biomedical publications indexed in BDML amounts to 27,452 documents in 1,639 journals or 19,915 documents in the 1,339 journals listed in JCR. This represents 3,983 articles and reviews in SCI journals per year on average. Similar calculation for the Spanish articles and reviews indexed in SCI-SSCI databases (1990-93) gives a rate of 3,727 documents/year. Coverage of biomedical literature in ML is much lower than in SCI + SSCI (11,729 and 15,723 documents respectively) although the differences can be lowered taking into account that SCI documents include case reports and letters to the Editor which can not be retrieved from ML searchs in the AD field. On the contrary, more Spanish articles in medical disciplines were retrieved from ML (15,723) than SCI + SSCI databases (7,858). ML indexes more Spanish medical journals than SCI (36 journals and 11,400 articles in ML90-94 against 12 journals and 1,622 documents in SCI90-93). CONCLUSIONS: The results validate the usefulness of MedLine for bibliometric studies in medical sciences.

Databases, Bibliographic↗

[The representation of Slovak medical journals in MEDLINE].

The author analyzed the presentation of Slovak medical journals in the Medline information system and compared the situation with other countries. Out of all medical magazines issued within the Slovak Republic Medline excerpts only the Bratislava Medical Journal and Neoplasma. The quantitative presentation of medical studies in periodic publications from the Slovak Republic is very favourable in Medline. (Tab. 3, Ref. 9.)

MEDLINE↗

Making the most of MEDLINE.

The MEDLINE database is firmly established as an essential tool in medical research and practice, and all doctors should develop MEDLINE search skills. This article reviews key elements of the database, looking particularly at areas of common error, and the options available when fine-tuning a search. A better understanding of MEDLINE should lead to more effective use of this invaluable resource.

CD-ROM↗

Religious and spiritual case reports on MEDLINE: a systematic analysis of records from 1980 to 1996.

OBJECTIVE: To undertake a systematic analysis of case reports involving religious or spiritual issues published between 1980 and 1996. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, the National Library of Medicine's bibliographic database covering the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and the preclinical sciences. STUDY SELECTION: A search of 4,306,906 records indexed on MEDLINE from 1980 to 1996. DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 364 abstracts were found, then subjected to coding analysis. DATA SYNTHESIS: Categories were developed for (1) types of healthcare situations involving religious/spiritual issues, (2) religious and spiritual interventions, (3) collaboration between healthcare and religious professionals, (4) psychopathology and sensitivity themes, and (5) religious faith/spiritual path. Although all of these case reports involved religious and spiritual issues, only 45 (12%) explicitly mentioned a religious professional. Of these, only 8 (2%) indicated any collaboration between healthcare and religious professionals. CONCLUSIONS: A paucity of published case report literature exists on religious and spiritual issues (.008% of the MEDLINE records), indicating that the increasing acceptance of these factors by patients and healthcare professionals is not yet reflected in scientific and clinical journals. A need exists for more documented examples of collaboration between healthcare and religious professionals.

Humans↗

MEDLINE on CD-ROM: end user searching in a medical school library.

End users at the Medical College of Pennsylvania enjoyed searching CD-ROM versions of MEDLINE and judged such searches "extremely useful." To assess the effectiveness of their searches, a sample of 500 search statements from Compact Cambridge (CC) MEDLINE was examined. A high proportion of search statements (224, or 45 percent) retrieved no documents. Over one-third of search statements (185, or 37 percent) contained at least one error, which usually resulted in zero retrieval for that search statement. Searchers attempting to enter Medical Subject Headings were frequently defeated by the elaborate punctuation requirement of CC MEDLINE. "Missed opportunities" were evident in over three-fourths of search statements. One-on-one instruction and library classes may increase search success, but these measures reach a limited audience. Improvement in the search software itself is needed to help searchers improve the effectiveness of their searches.

Computer Literacy↗

Analysis of non-urban end users' MEDLINE training.

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) Library mailed a MEDLINE End User Practice Survey Form to 310 health professionals who had attended MEDLINE seminars supported by a two-year NLM grant. The survey sought to determine how many respondents had obtained NLM codes, reasons for not obtaining a code, searching time done since the seminar, differences in the use of information since taking the seminar, factors helpful in successful searching, and factors contributing to frustrations. The most prevalent reasons for not obtaining a code were lack of a microcomputer and modem, infrequent use of MEDLINE, cost, lack of time, complications, and ability to obtain free searches.

Computer User Training↗

Online access to MEDLINE in clinical settings. A study of use and usefulness.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We introduced self-service access to the medical literature database, MEDLINE, into clinical settings to assess the frequency, patterns, purposes, and success of use. DESIGN: Longitudinal descriptive study. SETTING: Inpatient and outpatient services of a university medical center. PARTICIPANTS: All trainees and attending staff working at the service sites were invited to participate; 158 (84%) did so. INTERVENTIONS: Free online access was provided to MEDLINE through GRATEFUL MED software. Participants were offered a 2-hour introduction to online searching and 2 hours of free search time. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: For each search, a computer program requested identification of the user and the question to be addressed. Search transactions were recorded automatically. Interviews were conducted after a random sample of searches, and search questions were given to more expert searchers to run for comparison with the original. Eighty-one percent of participants did searches on study computers, at a mean rate of 2.7 searches per month. On comparison searches, participants retrieved 55% of the number of relevant articles retrieved by reference librarians (P = 0.024) and 50% more irrelevant articles (P less than 0.001). Forty-seven percent of searches on patient problems affected clinical decisions, but often on scanty information. CONCLUSIONS: MEDLINE searching from clinical settings is feasible with brief training and affects clinical decisions. However, inexperienced searchers miss many relevant citations and search inefficiently. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of searching on physician performance and patient care.

Academic Medical Centers↗

MELVYL MEDLINE: reference service implications of an end-user search system.

The implementation of MELVYL MEDLINE, a successful online end-user system in the University of California (UC) health sciences libraries greatly enhanced the capabilities of reference desk service by providing immediate access to current medical literature from the MEDLINE database. With these enhancements, the extent of the impact on the delivery of reference service was not anticipated. Concurrent with providing traditional reference service requests, there was a constant need for individualized end-user instruction by MELVYL MEDLINE users, and continual maintenance of workstation equipment and supplies. This paper describes the experiences at the UC Irvine (UCI) Biomedical Library and compares these experiences with other UC health sciences libraries. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the issues which must be considered when planning for the implementation of an end-user system within the reference service function.

California↗

Coverage and overlaps in bibliographic databases relevant to forensic medicine: a comparative analysis of MEDLINE.

This study was designed to make a comparative evaluation of the performance of MEDLINE in covering serial literature. Forensic medicine was chosen because it is an interdisciplinary subject area that would test MEDLARS at the periphery of the system. The evaluation of database coverage was based upon articles included in the bibliographies of scholars in the field of forensic medicine. This method was considered appropriate for characterizing work used by researchers in this field. The results of comparing MEDLINE to other databases evoked some concerns about the selective indexing policy of MEDLINE in serving the interests of those working in forensic medicine.

Forensic Medicine↗

An evaluation of four end-user systems for searching MEDLINE.

This study compared features and determined which of four end-user systems (PaperChase, GRATEFUL MED, Med-Base, or Compact Cambridge: MEDLINE) would best serve the Medical Sciences and Optometry Libraries of Indiana University in providing biomedical information to faculty and graduate students through MEDLINE. Cost, ease of use, retrieval, training needs, equipment requirements, and adequacy of documentation were examined. The study consisted of a comparison of the features of each system based on available documentation; a controlled search performed by the investigators on each system and on regular NLM MEDLINE; and a user study based on observations, questionnaires, and interviews with eleven library patrons who performed the same search of their choice on each of the four systems.

Computer Systems↗

An evaluation of four end-user systems for searching MEDLINE.

This study compared features and determined which of four end-user systems (PaperChase, GRATEFUL MED, Med-Base, or Compact Cambridge: MEDLINE) would best serve the Medical Sciences and Optometry Libraries of Indiana University in providing biomedical information to faculty and graduate students through MEDLINE. Cost, ease of use, retrieval, training needs, equipment requirements, and adequacy of documentation were examined. The study consisted of a comparison of the features of each system based on available documentation; a controlled search performed by the investigators on each system and on regular NLM MEDLINE; and a user study based on observations, questionnaires, and interviews with eleven library patrons who performed the same search of their choice on each of the four systems.

Computer User Training↗

Use of MEDLINE by medical students: results of a survey of the students of the Pritzker School of Medicine of the University of Chicago.

Because medical school is a logical place for information retrieval capabilities to be introduced to future physicians, a survey was conducted at the Pritzker School of Medicine of the University of Chicago in August 1984 to determine the students' awareness and use of MEDLINE. The study found that many students were unaware of MEDLINE and its capabilities, and that the MEDLINE orientation for students during the first week of medical school was inadequate. Suggestions for improving the orientation were solicited from the students, and these have been analyzed and discussed.

Chicago↗

Evaluation of MEDLINE service by user survey.

The use of MEDLINE at the Calder Memorial Library of the University of Miami School of Medicine has grown so substantially over the past one and one-half years that we felt an evaluation of the service was appropriate. A one-page questionnaire was sent to 350 patrons who had requested MEDLINE searches in 1973. The response validated many of our assumptions about the user group and their reasons for using MEDLINE. Most surprising were the degree of enthusiasm, the willingness to pay out of personal funds, the apparent lack of knowledge about SDILINE, and the small number of critical comments. We expect that the experience gained from this assessment will enable us to make improvements in some aspects of our service, as well as to undertake more subject-specific evaluations at shorter intervals in the future.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗