Biomedical Literature: Resources

• Biomedical literature has primary, secondary, and tertiary resources.

Primary Resources

• Include clinical research studies and reports, both published and unpublished like controlled trials, cohort studies, case series, and case reports.
• Offer current and detailed information, enabling analysis of study methodology.
• Require more time and expertise to evaluate effectively.

Secondary Resources

• Searchable databases help locate primary or tertiary resources.
• Index and abstract information from various sources like PubMed, EBSCOhost, and CINAHL.
• Use multiple secondary resources for comprehensive searches.

Tertiary Resources

• Filtered and summarized information from an author/editor provides a quick overview.
• Textbooks, compendia, review articles, and clinical guidelines are examples.
• They are often an efficient first step when looking for details.

Appropriate Resource Selection

• Match the resource to the question, considering if it is about the commercial availability versus clinical trials.
• Consider who is asking. Tertiary resources are good for consumers, while prescribers may need primary literature.
• When selecting tertiary sources, consider the type of information needed like pharmacokinetics versus therapeutics.
• Practice setting, funding, patient populations, and information needs impact which tertiary resources should be available.

Benefits of Tertiary Resources

• Provide a quick summary.
• Convenient, easy to use, and familiar to practitioners.
• Good first-line resources with basic information.
• Act as a starting point to identify info and gain a general overview.

Limitations of Tertiary Resources

• Print copies have delays in updating information.
• Electronic versions also have delays due to review and summarization.
• Information may be incomplete due to limits or incomplete searches.
• Possible errors in transcription, bias, incorrect interpretation, or lack of expertise can happen.
• Different databases may contain different answers to the same question.

Evaluating Tertiary Resources

• Consider the author's experience.
• Assess if the information is timely based on the publication date.
• Check for supporting citations.
• Determine if the resource contains relevant information and is free from bias.
• Use the most updated version.
• Carefully review contents and consult multiple resources before making recommendations.

Secondary Resources & Search Strategies

• Secondary resources index primary and some tertiary literature.
• Indexing offers bibliographic citation information.
• Abstracting includes a brief description.
• Adapt search strategies due to indexing system differences.
• Determine the terms a database uses for successful searching.
• Use free-text search options when defined index terms don't identify data, along with using emerging terms.
• Develop a search strategy using key terms and recognize that different databases may require different search terms like "adolescent" vs. "pediatric."
• Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to refine searches. The AND operator retrieves citations containing both terms. The NOT operator may eliminate appropriate articles, if the excluded term appears anywhere in the text.
• When searching for herbal products, consider synonyms, botanical, Latin names, and misspellings. Search using the common name, botanical name, and potential misspellings.
• Employ filters to improve search quality.

Primary Resources: Advantages

• Access detailed information.
• Assess the validity and applicability of study results.
• Information is more recent than tertiary or secondary literature.

Primary Resources: Disadvantages

• Conclusions can be misleading based on a single trial.
• Requires good literature evaluation skills and can be time-consuming.

Alternative Resources

• Internet searches are a good starting point for researching uncommon diseases, new terms, drugs in development, or marketed OTC products/supplements.
• Evaluate credibility, accuracy, currency, detail, referencing, and author.
• News offers information on rapidly changing topics.
• Experts can offer information not in standard literature.

Reliable Consumer Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• MedlinePlus.
• Cleveland Clinic Health Library.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) websites (e.g., Office of Dietary Supplements).
• FamilyDoctor.org.
• Healthfinder.gov.
• HealthyChildren.org.
• SafeMedication.
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Internet and Mobile-Based Resources

• Internet-based and mobile-based resources play a role in providing drug information.
• Information needs to be evaluated for accuracy, comprehensiveness, and recent updates. Credibility of the source and vested interests should be considered.
• Information available in a mobile app may differ from online or hardcopy forms.
• Mobile applications can provide access to tertiary resources and drug information.