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Table 1 Single term with the best sensitivity (keeping specificity ≥50%), best specificity (keeping sensitivity ≥50%), and best optimization of sensitivity and specificity (based on the lowest possible absolute difference between sensitivity and specificity) for detecting studies of prognosis in MEDLINE in 2000

From: Developing optimal search strategies for detecting clinically sound prognostic studies in MEDLINE: an analytic survey

Search term OVID search* Sensitivity (%) Development Validation Diff (95% CI)† Specificity (%) Development Validation Diff (95% CI)† Precision (%) Development Validation Diff (95% CI)† Accuracy (%) Development Validation Diff (95% CI)†
‡exp epidemiologic studies 64.9 78.6 1.1 78.6
  73.4 79.1 1.4 79.1
  8.5 (-4.6 to 21.7) 0.5 (-0.3 to 1.2) 0.3 (-0.2 to 0.7) 0.5 (-0.3 to 1.2)
  1. *The search strategy is reported using Ovid's search engine syntax for MEDLINE. The PubMed syntax is epidemiologic studies [MeSH]. †Diff = Difference, comparing the development and validation data sets using the iterative method of Miettinen and Nurminen for two independent binomial proportions. None of the differences were statistically significant. ‡exp = explode, a search term that automatically includes closely related indexing terms.
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BMC Medicine

ISSN: 1741-7015

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