title: Derivation and validation of a MEDLINE search strategy for research studies that use administrative data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To derive and validate a search strategy that identifies administrative database research (ADR) in the MEDLINE database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analytical survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  We downloaded all articles published between January 1, 2008 and October 7, 2009 in 20 top journals in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, public health, and health services research. These were reviewed to determine whether they were ADR (in which the study cohort, exposure, or outcome was defined using electronic data created for or during the processing of patients through their health care). We used chi-squared recursive partitioning to create a search strategy that maximized sensitivity based on publication type, MeSH headings, and text words.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sensitivity and positive predictive value of the search strategy for true ADR in three samples: derivation (n=5,513); internal validation (n=2,710); and external validation (n=1,500).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of ADR in the derivation, internal validation, and external validation samples was 2.6, 2.9, and 2.2 percent, respectively. The sensitivity of our search strategy in these samples was 90.9 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 85.0-95.1), 88.5 percent (79.2-94.6), and 100 percent (99.3-100), respectively. The positive predictive value in these samples was 10.7 percent (9.0-12.6), 11.5 percent (9.1-14.4), and 3.3 percent (2.3-4.6), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We derived and validated a search strategy that is highly sensitive for ADR in MEDLINE.
authors.affiliation: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, ASB 1-003 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON. carlv@ohri.ca
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Walraven
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Forster
mesh_terms: D006298:Health Services Administration; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D016239:MEDLINE; D012106:Research
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