I’m trying to study for my Health & Medical course and I need some help to understand this question.
Discussion Prompt
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.
In surgical patients is the use of preadmission screening & education compared to no preadmission screening and education beneficial in reducing the rate of surgical site infections during the postoperative period?
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
To conduct a systematic search and review of the literature is an essential step in answering a PICOT question. It helps in identifying the best available evidence to answer a research question. In this situation, the PICOT question is related to surgical patients’ preadmission screening and education, and its impact on reducing surgical site infections during the postoperative period.
Answer:
To conduct a systematic search and review of the literature, the following strategies can be used:
1. Identifying relevant keywords: A list of keywords relevant to the PICOT question can be identified. These keywords can be used to search for relevant articles on electronic databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, etc.
2. Selecting appropriate databases: Databases that provide access to medical literature can be selected. It is essential to choose the databases that offer relevant research articles related to the research question.
3. Search articles: Searching for research articles should be done systematically and thoroughly. Boolean operators such as AND, OR can be used to combine keywords and make search results more specific.
4. Screening abstracts: After compiling a list of articles relevant to the PICOT question, screening abstracts can be done to identify potentially adequate articles.
5. Full-text review: After screening the abstract, full-text review can be performed to evaluate the articles’ relevance.
6. Critical appraisal of the literature: After identifying the relevant literature, it is essential to appraise the literature critically. The literature appraisal can involve evaluating aspects such as methodology, sampling techniques, data analysis methods, and study limitations.
Conclusion:
Conducting a systematic search and review of the literature is essential in answering a PICOT question. To determine the best evidence, it is necessary to use appropriate databases, keywords, Boolean operators, screening methods, and critically appraise the literature.
