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Table 3 Highly sensitive search strategy for identifying off-label drug use reports in OvidSP EMBASE: sensitivity- and precision-maximizing version

From: Search strategies to identify reports on “off-label” drug use in EMBASE

 

Search query

Cumulative number of relevant records retrieved

Cumulative number of records retrieved

Cumulative sensitivity/full set (%)

Cumulative sensitivity/EMBASE set (%)

Cumulative Precision (%)

1

off label*.af.

3150

3577

77.45

81.90

88.06

2

(unlicensed not (unlicensed aide* or unlicensed assist* or unlicensed car* or (Unlicensed adj2 heal*)or unlicensed home* or (killer adj2 cell*) or (unlicensed adj2 individual*) or (unlicensed adj2 nurs*) or (unlicensed adj4 practi*) or (unlicensed adj2 physician*) or (unlicensed adj2 operat*) or (unlicensed adj2 person*) or unlicensed profession* or unlicensed rid* or (unlicensed adj3 staff*) or unlicensed therapist* or (unlicensed adj5 vaccine*) or unlicensed vendor* or (unlicensed adj2 work*) or (unlicensed adj2 employe*) or device*or dentist*or driver or driving or herbal or medical graduate* or motor* or pesticide*or premis*or prostitute*or restaurant*or veterinary or worker*)).af.,

3272

3858

80.45

85.08

84.81

3

(unapprove* adj2 us*).af.

3331

3947

81.90

86.61

84.39

4

(unapprove* adj5 indication*).af.

3367

3986

82.79

87.55

84.47

5

off li?en?e.af.

3425

4053

84.21

89.05

84.51

6

((no* licen?ed for adj3 use*) not now licen?ed).af.

3476

4136

85.47

90.38

84.04

7

(unapprove* adj2 drug*).af.

3493

4181

85.89

90.82

83.54

8

(outside adj3 licen?e*).af.

3511

4211

86.33

91.29

83.38

9

unlabel* us*.af.

3538

4241

86.99

91.99

83.42

10

labeled indication*.af.

3549

4270

87.26

92.28

83.11

11

nonapprove*.af.

3569

4317

87.76

92.80

82.67

12

registered indication*.af.

3585

4348

88.15

93.21

82.45

13

offlabel*.af.

3590

4353

88.27

93.34

82.47

14

(unlabel* adj3 indication*).af.

3598

4361

88.47

93.55

82.50

15

non fda approve*.af.

3611

4388

88.79

93.89

82.29

16

((no* licen?ed for adj3 indication*) not now licen?ed).af.

3624

4402

89.11

94.23

82.33

17

(appropriate indication adj3 us*).af.

3630

4413

89.25

94.38

82.26

18

(be???d* adj2 licen?ed indication*).af.

3633

4417

89.33

94.46

82.25

19

(us* without adj2 indication*).af.

3638

4428

89.45

94.59

82.16

20

(prescri* outside adj4 guideline*).af.

3643

4434

89.57

94.72

82.16

21

(inappropriate adj5 indication adj2 us*).af.

3647

4441

89.67

94.83

82.12

22

(non evidence base* us*).af.

3650

4446

89.75

94.90

82.10

23

(or/1-22) not (stent* or veterinar*).af.

3635

4158

89.38

94.51

87.42

  1. Combinations of search queries with the best optimization of sensitivity and precision are ranked in descending order of number of relevant records. See further search strategies in Additional file 2.