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Medicine and Health Sciences

Page history last edited by PBworks 15 years, 5 months ago

Medicine and Health Sciences

Table of Contents

Medicine and Health Sciences

Scope

Medicine (i.e. doctors), nursing, allied health, psychology/psychiatry, and sports medicine. Also, consumer health (patient info).

Online Reference Sources

MedlinePlus Encyclopedia/Dictionary (unrestricted access)

EBooks (search in library catalogue for):

Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary
Stedman's Medical Dictionary

Top Databases

Medline:

Controlled Vocabulary: MeSH (Medical Subject Headings)

Each version of Medline allows you to search the MeSH database for terms - lists definitions, scope, broader and narrower terms, etc...

Ovid version: available at: BCIT, CAM, CNC, DC, JIBC, KPU, LC, NIC, NWCC, RRU, SC, SFU, TWU, UFV, UBC, UNBC, UVic, VCC, VIU

Under the Advanced Ovid Search tab:

Searches MeSH automatically when "Map term to subject heading" box is checked
Insert each search term separately into the search box
Suggested terms are linked: click on a term to see the MeSH database
Search using keyword if the terms that are mapped to your search term are not relevant
When you have 2 search terms in the search history above, type 1 and 2 into the search box to perform a boolean search
Truncation is available with the $ symbol
Links to full text in Ovid databases and link resolver is often available as well

PubMed version: http://www.pubmed.gov

This version is free online - use with unaffiliated persons and students with login problems
Search box works like Google - just type words in
Use the MeSH database (linked on left of screen) to search the MeSH terms (for a more accurate search)
PubMed autoexplodes both MeSH and subheadings unless you specify otherwise
Truncation is available with * symbol
Links to free online full text where available, certain institutions have link resolver if you enter PubMed from their website

EBSCO version: available at: BCIT, CAM, CAP, CNC, COTR, DC, JIBC, KPU, LC, NIC, NLC, NWCC, OC, RRU, SC, SFU, TRU, TWU, UFV, UNBC, UVic, VCC, VIU

Default is keyword search - check the Suggest Subject Terms checkbox above the search boxes to search MeSH
MeSH are also suggested to the left of the search results under: Narrow Results by Subject
Use the link in the green bar to search MeSH database
Refine Search tab allows you to search the full text of articles as well
Truncation is available with the * symbol
Links to full text in EBSCO databases and link resolver is often available as well

FirstSearch OCLC : available at: OC, UNBC, UVic

Search Strategies

Find out what course it is for/who the student is

Health Sciences Student - use Medline or another health database
1st year Student with general topic e.g. hiv in Africa - use Academic Search Premier, Canadian Newsstand, etc...
Patient Info: use MedlinePlus

Other Databases

Evidence Based Medicine Reviews (Ovid): available at: BCIT, CAM, CAP, CNC, DC, JIBC, KPU, LC, NIC, NLC, NWCC, OC, RRU, OC, SFU, TRU, TWU, UFV, UBC, UNBC, VCC, VIU

Use EBM Reviews if the person asks for evidence, evidence-based articles, or systematic reviews.
There is no controlled vocabulary, only a keyword search.
Full text is found under the link "EBM Topic Review".
If student does not have access to this database, use Medline, and use the Limit options
- Subset: Systematic Reviews
- Type of Article/Publication Type: Randomized Controlled Trial
- Type of Article/Publication Type: any article type containing the word trial or study

CINAHL (EBSCO, Ovid): available at: BCIT, CAM, CAP, CNC, COTR, DC, JIBC, KPU, LC, NIC, NLC, NWCC, OC, RRU, SC, SFU, TRU, TWU, UFV, UBC, UNBC, UVic, VCC, VIU

Use CINAHL with nursing students and nursing-specific questions, e.g. nursing management questions
There is a controlled vocabulary - automatically mapped in Ovid, in EBSCO, check the "suggest subject terms" checkbox
If a student does not have access to this database, use Medline, and use the Limit options
- Subset: Nursing Journals

PsycInfo (EBSCO): available at: BCIT, CAM, CAP, CNC, COTR, DC, JIBC, KPU, LC, NIC, NLC, NWCC, OC, RRU, SC, SFU, TRU, TWU, UFV, UBC, UNBC, UVic, VCC, VIU, YC

Use PsycInfo for psychology and psychiatry questions - anything to do with mental health.
There is a controlled vocabulary - search it in the green bar at the top of the page
If a student does not have access to this database, use Medline, which contains many psych papers

SportDiscus (EBSCO, Ovid): available at: CAM, DC, LC, SC, SFU, TWU, UFV, UBC, UVic, VIU, YC

Use SportDiscus for Human Kinetics students and questions related to sports medicine and/or injuries.
There is a controlled vocabulary - search it in the green bar at the top of the page: link is "Thesaurus"
If a student does not have access to this database, use Medline, and use the MeSH terms (as appropriate):
- Sports (or a narrower term)
- Wounds and Injuries

EMBASE: available at: UBC

Use for pharmaceutical information, especially international info
If a student does not have access to this database, use Medline, and search the MeSH database for the generic name of the substance (i.e. search Acetaminophen instead of Tylenol)

Google Scholar

Google Scholar searches Medline, but it does a full text search of many of the articles. Use Google Scholar for highly specific searches, such as specific dosages, rare treatments or unusual cases. The Advanced Search allows you to limit to articles in: Medicine, Pharmacology, and Veterinary Science

Consumer Health

Consumer Health is information for patients and relatives or friends of patients. It is written for the layperson rather than a health professional.

MedlinePlus

Search engine and portal created by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health
Links to information pages from authoritative sources

Canadian Health Network

Search Engine and portal created by the Public Health Agency of Canada
Links to information pages from authoritative sources

Health Canada Website

More a news site than a search engine
Contains topics under main categories on the left
Categories include: Diseases & Conditions, Drugs & Health Products, Food & Nutrition, Environmental & Workplace Health, Healthy Living, etc...

Medline

Perform your search as normal, then use the Limit: Type of Article/Publication Type: Patient Education Handouts