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Doctoring and Clinical Skills (DoCS) - Year 1: Library Session

Handouts and Tutorials

PubMed and Searching Help

Exercises

Please complete the Guided Practice and PubMed Practice.

PubMed Practice and Self-Assessment

Search Exercise

This search is available for more structured practice searching PubMed.  

Instructions:

  1. For the clinical scenario below, perform search in PubMed that would help answer the question posed. (There may be more information in the scenario than is necessary for the question asked.)
  2. Review the results for relevancy.
  3. Use the Search History on the Advanced Search page to complete the Self-Evaluation (linked below).

Clinical Scenario:
You saw RR for cluster headaches. You noted that his blood pressure was elevated and that hypertension control would be discussed at his next appointment. You know Mr. R is interested in lifestyle changes to help bring his blood pressure within normal limits. He also mentioned mild stress from his teenaged children. You decided to see if there is any evidence surrounding relaxation techniques, like yoga, meditation, or biofeedback to help control his hypertension.
 

P Middle aged patient with hypertension
I Meditation, Yoga, Biofeedback
C NA
O Normal blood pressure

Clinical Question:
In middle age patients with hypertension, are meditation, yoga, and biofeedback effective in bringing blood pressure within normal limits?
--Find randomized controlled trials to help answer the question. 
 Hint: Limit to randomized controlled trial article type.
Use the AGE filter instead of typing the age in the search box. Turn on the Age filter by clicking Additional Filters button, click Age, then select the relevant ages to display.

Optional Practice

These are resources that I find useful for specific question types. If you have time, explore these resources and keep in mind when questions they can answer come up.

Lab Book 

Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests is useful reference book for lab values. What makes me look past the old fashioned interface is that entries include sections for Clinical Implications (Increased values are seen in.... Decreased values are seen in....) which can be helpful for thinking in terms of differential diagnosis.

Drug Book

AHFS Drug Information is reviewed drug information from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. It is arranged by drug class and many drug classes begin with a General Statement for the class.

Natural Medicine Resource

This database provides professional monographs for herbs and supplements. It provides information for what the supplement is used and likely effectiveness. It cites the literature so you can see trace back to the studies informing the entries.