Table 4 Search filter testing framework
From: Evaluating the impact of MEDLINE filters on evidence retrieval: study protocol
Development | Stage one | Promising search filters are developed through a rigorous process of combining terms in various ways. The relevance of each article in a set of articles is defined a reference standard. The ability of a filter to restrict the set of articles to those that are relevant is then considered. |
|---|---|---|
Validation | Stage two | Promising filters are independently evaluated on a second, distinct, set of articles to ensure equivalent performance in replication. |
Physician search performance | Stage three | Determine whether search filters improve end-user searching performance (i.e., recall and precision). |
Physician knowledge | Stage four | Determine whether search filters improve physician knowledge. |
Medical decisions or care | Stage five | Determine whether the acquired knowledge changes medical decision making or processes of care. |
Patient outcomes | Stage six | Determine whether patient outcomes are improved. |