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Caroline De Brun posted: > Hi all, The following paper has just been published, and although aimed at social science and research, the lessons do apply to evidence based health... > Author: Gomersall, Alan > Source: Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice, Volume 3, Number 2, May 2007 , pp. 301-308(8) > Publisher: Policy Press Seems to indicate that the more things change, the more they stay the same! About 10 years ago, findings within the health sector also suggested a need for teaching better approaches to literature searching. The value of searching is suggested by Klein et al. - PARADIGM Database Search, 2007/08/20: ----------------------------------------------- Klein MS, Ross FV, Adams DL, et al. Effect of Online Literature Searching on Length of Stay and Patient Care Costs ACADEMIC MEDICINE 1994;69(6):489-95 Despite important limitations, which are covered in the discussion, this case-referent study in three teaching hospitals demonstrates significant savings in length of stay and in cost per case for 19 DRGs associated with a physician-requested MEDLINE search performed by a medical librarian. Searches done earlier were associated with lower cost and length of stay than those done later. ----- Copyright Applied Epidemiology ----- When it was still being published, a review enlisted for CLINICAL PERFORMANCE & QUALITY HEALTH CARE described a much more effective way to approach literature searching than the approach usually taken by health care professionals. In "Where's the Evidence? How to Find Clinical-Effectiveness Information" (Clinical Performance and Quality Health Care 1998;6(1):44-48), Julie Glanville describes a "cascade" approach to make the most efficient use of literature archive indices. David. -- David Birnbaum, PhD, MPH Adjunct Professor School of Nursing University of British Columbia Principal, Applied Epidemiology British Columbia, Canada