Table 4 Top 3-performing Combination of Terms with the Best Sensitivity (keeping Specificity ≥50%), Specificity (keeping Sensitivity ≥50%), and Best Optimization of Sensitivity and Specificity (based on abs [sensitivity-specificity]<1%) for Detecting Studies of Causation in EMBASE in 2000
Search Strategy OVID search* | Sensitivity (%) (n = 215) | Specificity (%) (n = 27,554) | Precision (%)†| Accuracy (%) (n = 27,769) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Top 3-performing combination of terms with best Sensitivity | ||||
risk:.mp. OR exp methodology OR exp epidemiology | 91.6 (87.9 to 95.3) | 60.9 (60.3 to 61.4) | 1.8 (1.6 to 2.0) | 61.1 (60.5 to 61.7) |
risk:.tw. OR exp methodology OR exp epidemiology | 91.2 (87.4 to 95.0) | 63.0 (62.4 to 63.6) | 1.9 (1.6 to 2.2) | 63.2 (62.6 to 63.8) |
risk:.mp. OR exp methodology OR exp mortality | 90.7 (86.8 to 94.6) | 65.1 (64.5 to 65.7) | 2.0 (1.7 to 2.3) | 65.3 (64.7 to 65.8) |
Top 3-performing combination of terms with best Specificity | ||||
cohort.tw. OR relative risk:.tw. | 53.0 (46.4 to 59.7) | 94.6 (94.4 to 94.9) | 7.1 (5.9 to 8.4) | 94.3 (94.0 to 94.6) |
confidence interval.tw. OR relative risk:.tw. | 50.7 (44.0 to 57.4) | 94.5 (94.2 to 94.7) | 6.7 (5.4 to 7.9) | 94.1 (93.8 to 94.4) |
OR relative risk:.tw. OR cohort:.tw. | 53.5 (46.8 to 60.2) | 94.4 (94.1 to 94.6) | 6.9 (5.7 to 8.1) | 94.1 (93.8 to 94.3) |
Top 3-performing combination of terms with best optimization of Sensitivity and Specificity | ||||
risk.tw. OR mortalit:.tw, OR cohort.tw. | 81.9 (76.7 to 87.0) | 81.4 (80.9 to 81.8) | 3.3 (2.8 to 3.8) | 81.4 (80.9 to 81.8) |
risk:.tw. OR cohort:.mp. OR confidence interval:.tw. | 81.9 (76.7 to 87.0) | 81.2 (80.8 to 81.7) | 3.3 (2.8 to 3.8) | 81.3 (80.8 to 81.7) |
risk.tw. OR mortalit:.tw. OR cohort:.tw | 81.9 (76.7 to 87.0) | 81.2 (80.8 to 81.7) | 3.3 (2.8 to 3.8) | 81.2 (80.8 to 81.7) |