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Evidence Search Autumn 2024 Campaign

Autumn at ESNEFT Libraries is all about Evidence Searches.  

We wish to highlight to ESNEFT staff how an evidence search from ESNEFT Libraries can support patient care and help with research/QI projects.  

Our sway bulletin below will demonstrate how an evidence search from ESNEFT Libraries could be the service you need to ask for this Autumn. 

Evidence Searches Overview

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Our Librarians are experts at performing evidence searches, and have many years of searching experience within the NHS. Let us take the heavy lifting out of finding the evidence:

  • We can search the healthcare databases and other resources to find you relevant, high quality information for patient care, complex conditions, audits, quality improvement and research projects.
  • We find evidence-based information to support you.
  • To use the evidence search service you must be a registered member of ESNEFT Libraries. 
  • This service is not available for students on placement. However, we can help teach you how to search databases via our 1:1 support sessions.  Please see below for more info.
  • To request a search - head to the 'Request a Search Tab'. 
  • To request an evidence search please either email esneftlibrary@esneft.nhs.uk or complete the online request form below.
  • It may be helpful to look at the information in the PICO tab, to help formulate your search question.

 

Using PICO to create answerable clinical questions

When asking clinical questions, a framework such as PICO can help formulate an answerable question and make searching for an answer easier.

PICO stands for:

Patient Problem, (or Population)

This would be the patient’s condition or disease, and could also include the population group (e.g. pregnant women, people over 75 years old)

Intervention (or exposure)

This could be the treatment, exposure or test that you want to find out about in relation to the clinical problem and could be an intervention such as a surgical procedure, drug treatment, or change in diet, or it could be an exposure to an environmental hazard, a physical feature (such as being overweight), or it could be a diagnostic test.

Comparison or Control

This might be an alternative or control strategy, exposure or test for comparison with the one you are interested in. A Comparison is not always present in a PICO framework.

Outcome

This would be what you (or the patient) wants to happen (or stop happening)

Example:

‘In infants born prematurely, compared to those born at full term, what is the subsequent lifetime prevalence of sensory deafness?'

P  Population/patient =  infants

 I  Intervention/indicator =  premature

 C  Comparator/control =  full-term

 O  Outcome =  sensorial deafness

Searching Skills Training

  • If you need help with a literature search, you can book a 1:1 session with one of our experienced librarians.
  • Sessions typically take a minimum of one hour and will cover how to construct and run a search strategy within a healthcare database.
  • Training can take place in person at either Colchester or Ipswich Hospital Library, or online via Teams.
  • To arrange a convenient date and time please email either:
  • library.services@esneft.nhs.uk for Colchester Hospital Library or hospital.library@esneft.nhs.uk for Ipswich Hospital Library
  • Please specify if you would prefer in-person or Teams training.

 

​​​​​​​Library Hub​​​​​​​

How to search the literature effectively from E-Learning for Health

These modules are designed to help the healthcare workforce (clinical and non-clinical) build confidence to search published literature for articles and evidence relevant to their work, study and research. The modules are short (each taking no more than 20 minutes to complete) and may be ‘dipped into’ for reference, or completed to obtain a certificate. There are seven modules suitable for novice searchers and those wishing to refresh their knowledge:

Building the foundations

  • Module 1 Introduction to searching
  • Module 2 Where do I start searching?
  • Module 3 How do I start to develop a search strategy?

Developing the skills

  • Module 4 Too many results? How to narrow your search
  • Module 5 Too few results? How to broaden your search
  • Module 6 Searching with subject headings

Applying the skills

  • Module 7 Searching the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub and bibliographic databases

Click the link below to access the training.

esneftlibrary@esneft.nhs.uk 

Colchester - 01206 742146  

Ipswich - 01473 702544 (ext 1544)

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