PERFORMANCE OF ONLINE BIOMEDICAL DATABASES IN RHEUMATOLOGY

Objective. To compare the performance of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and BIOSIS i n selected rheumatology topics. Methods. Online literature searches we re conducted with regard to the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis ( RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and ankylosing spondylitis (A S), as well as for 3 specific questions representing clinical, clinica l/laboratory, and therapeutic topics in rheumatology. Total number of citations retrieved, type and language of publication, percentage of c ontribution from rheumatology journals, and degree of overlap among th e databases were recorded. Publications retrieved for the 3 specific q uestions were also graded for relevance. Results. For 1991, each onlin e biomedical database (OBD) retrieved more than 1,100 citations for RA , over 600 for SLE, and over 110 for AS. For the epidemiology subtopic , fewer than 25% of the citations were retrieved by more than one of t he databases. About 3/4 of the citations obtained for the specific sea rch questions were retrieved by a single database. No major difference s were observed among databases in relation to number of relevance of citations retrieved. Over 60% of the papers assessed had low relevance in relation to the topic of the search. Efficiency was estimated as t he percentage of all relevant citations retrieved by each OBD. Results varied according to the topic, but in most cases each database retrie ved at least 50% of the relevant citations. About 45% of the citations retrieved for the 3 search questions were published in nonrheumatolog y journals. Conclusion. No database was superior in all respects. The majority of the citations were retrieved by a single database. A high percentage of the articles retrieved were not relevant, implying low s pecificity. If a comprehensive online search in rheumatology is requir ed, 2 or more databases should be utilized.