Table 1.
Example search using subject headings
| Search strategy | |
|---|---|
| 1 | exp neoplasms/(2693021) |
| 2 | exp recurrence/(165159) |
| 3 | exp Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/(86083) |
| 4 | exp asthma/(109453) |
| 5 | exp stroke/(91990) |
| 6 | exp acute coronary syndrome/(8195) |
| 7 | 2 or 3 (250583) |
| 8 | 1 or 4 or 5 or 6 (2897701) |
| 9 | 7 and 8 (116674) |
| 10 | exp emotions/(176489) |
| 11 | 9 and 10 (261) |
| 12 | (cancer: or neoplasm: or oncol: or asthm: or stroke or strokes or acute coronary syndrom: or cardio: or cardia: or coronary).af. (4339611) |
| 13 | (recur: or rec-cur: or reocur: or re-ocur: or relaps: or reappear: or re appear).af. (585938) |
| 14 | (fear: or worr: or anx: or distress: or emotion: or apprehens: or dread or panic:).af. (411973) |
| 15 | 12 and 13 and 14 (3417) |
| 16 | ((questionnair: or scal: or screen: or psychometric:) and (valid: or reliab:)).af. (151160) |
| 17 | 15 and 16 (113) |
| 18 | 17 not 11 (86) |
Database: Ovid MEDLINE(R) 1946 to Present with Daily Update.
Example search using keywords: Strategy used in ASSIA/PILOTS/Social Services Abstracts and Sociological Abstracts.
(cancer* OR neoplasm* OR oncol* OR asthm* OR stroke OR strokes OR acute coronary syndrom* OR cardio* OR cardia* OR coronary) AND (recur* OR rec-cur* OR reocur* OR re-ocur* OR relaps* OR reappear* OR re appear) AND (fear* OR worr* OR anx* OR distress* OR emotion* OR apprehens* OR dread OR panic*) AND (questionnair* OR scal* OR screen* OR Psychometric*) AND (valid* OR reliab*).
Strategy used in the non-structured databases.
(Myocardial infaction*) and (recur* or rec-cur* or reocur* or re-ocur* or relaps* or reappear* or re appear*) and (fear* or worr* or anx* or distress* or emotion* or apprehens* or dread or panic*).