PICO versus PICOS and SPIDER: PICO gave higher sensitivity and lower precision, but with different numbers of search blocks per model¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2018 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In one observational comparison across CINAHL, Embase, and MEDLINE, PICO searches retrieved higher sensitivity and lower precision than PICOS and SPIDER searches, but the models used different numbers of search blocks (PICO: 3, PICOS: 4, SPIDER: 6), so the results are expected on that basis. → Mette Brandt Eriksen 2018

Evidence¶

Mette Brandt Eriksen 2018¶

Mette Brandt Eriksen, PhD; Tove Faber Frandsen, PhD. (2018). The impact of patient, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) as a search strategy tool on literature search quality: a systematic review. Journal of the Medical Library Association 106 (4). https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2018.345

q2 · i? · review · r3

Observational comparison (Methley et al., 2014) of identical search terms combined via PICO, PICOS, or SPIDER across PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL, yielding nine searches with relevance judged against inclusion criteria. Table 3 prints, e.g., PICO sensitivity of 77.78% in CINAHL versus 66.67% for PICOS and SPIDER. The review notes "as different numbers of search blocks were used for each model... these results are expected."

"Although hardly conclusive due to extremely limited data, the use of PICO as a search strategy tool resulted in higher sensitivity and lower precision than the use of PICOS and SPIDER."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• The recommendation to avoid outcome-related search terms to preserve sensitivity is not substantiated by available evidence — related
• Only three studies assessing PICO as a search strategy tool were eligible for review, and heterogeneity prevented quantitative analysis — related
• PICO versus truncated PIC in PubMed: PICO showed higher median sensitivity and precision on the first 40 records, but PIC showed higher sensitivity on the full output — related
• The number of search blocks impacts search quality: fewer blocks yield higher sensitivity and lower precision — a broader claim this one bears on
• In a randomized crossover trial, PICO searching yielded higher average sensitivity and lower average precision than unguided searching, not statistically significant — related