Searching the Medical Literature

Medical literature searches have become more complex because of the increasing amount of published material and the multiple available databases indexing those publications. Although newly graduated physicians may have received some training in literature searching as part of a medical school curriculum, most clinicians have received no formal training in this skill. In today's world of evidence-based medicine, access to published data is crucial, and the importance of a systematic approach to searching cannot be overemphasized. A brief review of searching techniques can greatly increase productivity while using the MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica, Science Citation Index, and other databases. Similarly, knowing the options available for remote access to databases and electronic delivery of articles can expedite the task of accessing publications.