By Sarah Hughes

Falvey Library is pleased to offer a summer trial to Elsevier’s Embase. This science database provides comprehensive coverage of biomedical information with particularly strong reporting for information related to drug reactions, toxicology, medical device data, and evidence-based medicine. Coverage starts from 1947 to present day, and all articles are indexed with both MeSH and Emtree.

The database is useful to all levels of expertise in searching. A simple search can be conducted using basic, natural language, or experienced database users can conduct a more extensive search. For example, Embase is an excellent database to consider when conducting a systematic literature search, like a Scoping or Systematic Review.

Another nice feature of Embase is the PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) question search builder. As nursing students and faculty know, it is critical to create a solid clinical questions when seeking evidence-based research. By having pre-populated fields available, Embase makes constructing a PICO question incredibly easy.

Embase PICO builder

Access to Embase can be found in Databases A to Z page or through this direct link. The trial ends on July 9, 2021. Please feel free to contact ref@villanova.edu with any questions.

Sarah Hughes is Nursing & Life Sciences Librarian at Falvey Memorial Library.

Here are two fun music videos I recently found on the Web to get everyone singing about evidence-based practice. These imaginative and humorous videos were produced by James McCormack, BSc(Pharm), Pharm D, Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC, Vancouver, Canada.

Viva la Evidence

 Some Studies That I Like to Quote

Want to find some RCTs (randomized controlled trials) and other studies to quote? Try these databases:

Cochrane Library  – Systematic reviews of health care interventions in support of evidence based practice.

PubMed – Use the “Article types” filter to focus your search on the type of study you need:

You can even watch a video to learn how to find systematic reviews and other evidence-packed resources in PubMed:
http://youtu.be/yFfV2k2zVCY

Need more help? contact barbara.quintiliano@villanova.edu

Falvey users now have full text access to the Cochrane Library’s systematic reviews of health care interventions. Reviews are prepared by members of the Cochrane Collaboration, “an international network of people helping healthcare providers, policy makers, patients, their advocates and carers, make well-informed decisions about human health care.” The database has the following specialty components:

• Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (also includes Cochrane Methodology Reviews) – the heart of the Cochrane Library
• Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects
• Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials
• Cochrane Methodology Register
• Health Technology Assessment Database
• NHS Economic Evaluation Database

How do you access the Cochrane Library? Start at the library homepage (http://library.villanova.edu) and click Databases A-Z, then choose Cochrane. There is also a link on the Nursing Resources page.

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Free Workshop on Asking the Right Questions: An Overview of the Survey Design Process
Asking the right questions is the key to getting the data that you need. Come to this training to learn about the survey development process, including when to conduct a survey, what type of survey to use, how to develop good survey questions, and how to best administer the survey to meet your agency’s needs.
Free! Tuesday, April 19th, 9:30am-12:00pm at PHMC, 260 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
To register, call Johanna Trowbridge at 215-985-2548 or johannat@phmc.org

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Smart Searching Hint

Q. How can I tell if the library has electronic access to a journal?

A. Click Journal Finder at the library homepage. Type in the title of the journal.  If the library subscribes, you’ll get a link indicating the volumes/years available and connecting you to the publication. No hits? Click the Search tab and do a journal title search to see if the library has print holdings.

Questions or comments about today’s blog post?  contact Barbara