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Home > About the Library > Health Information Resources > Reference Resources > EBM Filters

Using EBM Filters in Ovid Medline

EBM filters are defined strategies that have been developed by experienced searchers to aid answering specific clinical questions. The EBM filter searches we use for Ovid have been developed by librarians at the Miner Library at the University of Rochester, and adapted to resources at Becker Medical Library.

  1. In Ovid MEDLINE perform your search strategy to answer your clinical question.
  2. Then select Saved Searches/Alerts at the top right, and scroll down to Expert Searches.
  3. There will be the following EBM filtered searches as outlined for (Diagnosis, Etiology, Meta-analysis, Prognosis, Therapy).
  4. Choose the specific EBM filter and click the Run button.
  5. Once that is completed running, return to the Main Search Page and combine, using AND, the saved expert search results with the results for the specific conditions to arrive at the best possible search set for evidence-based articles on Ovid MEDLINE.

Please note: Your set numbers on the Main Search Page will differ from those listed in the filters below, depending on how many searches you performed before you applied the filter.

If you need any assistance, please contact the Library at 314-362-7085 or email askreference@msnotes.wustl.edu.

Diagnosis (saved search EBMfilter-diagnosis)
  1. exp “sensitivity and specificity”/
  2. false negative reactions/ or false positive reactions/
  3. (sensitivity or specificity).ti,ab.
  4. (predictive adj value$1).ti,ab.
  5. (likelihood adj ratio$1).ti,ab.
  6. (false adj (negative$1 or positive$1)).ti,ab.
  7. (randomized controlled trial or controlled clinical trial).pt.
  8. double blind method/ or single blind method/
  9. practice guideline.pt.
  10. consensus development conference$.pt.
  11. random$.ti,ab.
  12. random allocation/
  13. (single blind$3 or double blind$3 or triple blind$3).ti,ab.
  14. or/1-13
Etiology (saved search EBMfilter-etiology)
  1. random$.ti,ab.
  2. exp epidemiologic studies/
  3. odds ratio/
  4. cohort$.ti,ab.
  5. (case$1 adj control$).ti,ab.
  6. risk$.ti,ab.
  7. (odds adj ratio$1).ti,ab.
  8. causa$.ti,ab.
  9. (relative$1 adj risk$).ti,ab.
  10. predispos$.ti,ab.
  11. (randomized controlled trial or controlled clinical trial).pt.
  12. exp risk/
  13. practice guideline.pt.
  14. case-control studies/
  15. or/1-14
Metaanalysis (saved search EBMfilter-metaanal)
  1. exp “sensitivity and specificity”/
  2. false negative reactions/ or false positive reactions/
  3. (sensitivity or specificity).ti,ab.
  4. (predictive adj value$1).ti,ab.
  5. (likelihood adj ratio$1).ti,ab.
  6. (false adj (negative$1 or positive$1)).ti,ab.
  7. (randomized controlled trial or controlled clinical trial).pt.
  8. double blind method/ or single blind method/
  9. practice guideline.pt.
  10. consensus development conference.pt.
  11. random$.ti,ab.
  12. random allocation/
  13. (single blind$3 or double blind$3 or triple blind$3).ti,ab.
  14. (review or review academic).pt.
  15. meta analysis.pt.
  16. (systematic adj review$).ti,ab.
  17. or/1-14
  18. 17 and (15 or 16)
Prognosis (saved search EBMfilter-prognosis)
  1. exp cohort studies/
  2. prognosis/
  3. exp mortality/
  4. exp morbidity/
  5. (natural adj history).ti,ab.
  6. prognos$.ti,ab.
  7. course.ti,ab.
  8. predict$.ti,ab.
  9. exp “outcome assessment (health care)”/
  10. outcome$1.ti,ab.
  11. (inception adj cohort$1).ti,ab.
  12. disease progression/
  13. exp survival analysis/
  14. or/1-13
Therapy (saved search EBMfilter-therapy)
  1. exp research design/
  2. exp clinical trials/
  3. comparative study/ or placebos/
  4. multicenter study.pt.
  5. clinical trial$1.pt.
  6. random$.ti,ab.
  7. (double blind$ or triple blind$3).ti,ab.
  8. placebo$.ti,ab.
  9. (clinical adj trial$1).ti,ab.
  10. exp epidemiologic research design/
  11. (controlled clinical trial or randomized controlled trial).pt.
  12. practice guideline.pt.
  13. feasibility studies/
  14. clinical protocols/
  15. exp treatment outcome/
  16. or/1-15