Use of deprescribing search filters in systematic review search
strategies: a case study
Abstract
Deprescribing search filters aiming at maximizing sensitivity for
MEDLINE and for Embase were recently developed. Simultaneously, The US
Deprescribing Network (USden) developed a deprescribing search strategy
that included a deprescribing search filter for MEDLINE. The aim of this
case study was to implement these deprescribing search filters in
original search strategies from deprescribing related systematic reviews
(SRs) and to calculate their performances. Two deprescribing SRs were
included. Authors were asked to repeat the selection process described
in SRs original methods. Performances of search strategies implemented
with deprescribing search filters (ISS) were calculated and compared to
original search strategies (OSS). In MEDLINE, sensitivity for SR 1 was
50% for OSS (Precision: 2.8%), 58% for ISS with maximised sensitivity
filter (Precision: 1.7%) and 42% for ISS with USden filter (Precision:
5.1%). Sensitivity for SR 2 was 25% for all search strategies
(Precision: 0.1%, 0.2% and 1,2% respectively). In Embase, sensitivity
for SR 1 was 33% (Precision: 4,1%) for OSS and 58% for ISS (Precision
2.1%). No articles were included through Embase search strategies for
SR 2. Using maximized sensitivity deprescribing filters may increase the
exhaustivity of deprescribing SRs. Precision offered by the USDeN
deprescribing filter is a convenient alternative for non-systematic
reviews.