Getting started with search filters in primary care literature reviews

• Published in: Family practice Vol. 42; no. 4
• Main Authors: Morel, Thomas, Granikov, Vera, Kulshreshtha, Ambar, Young, Richard, Fournier, Jean-Pascal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press (OUP): Policy B - Oxford Open Option D 04.06.2025
• Subjects: Human health and pathology; Humans; Information Storage and Retrieval - methods; Life Sciences; Primary Health Care; Review Literature as Topic; Search Engine - methods; Terminology as Topic; Vocabulary, Controlled; databases as topic; systematic review; information science; methods; medical subject headings; Information science; Systematic review; Medical subject headings
• ISSN: 1460-2229; 0263-2136; 1460-2229
• DOI: 10.1093/fampra/cmaf037

Primary care researchers and clinicians are facing an ever-growing evidence base, more options to access research evidence, and increasingly limited time. Incorporating search filters into primary care systematic reviews can significantly improve the efficiency and confidence of the search process. Search filters, or hedges, are predeveloped search strategies that combine controlled vocabulary and free text terms using Boolean operators (words like “AND,” “OR”). Search filters help to manage the diverse terminology in the literature, such as the various synonyms for primary care, and can be tailored to the specific needs of the review, whether it aims to be exhaustive or more focussed. Resources such as specialized librarians, databases such as PubMed, and repositories such as the InterTASC Information Specialists Sub-Group provide access to these valuable tools. However, as primary care terminology continues to evolve, regular updates to these filters are necessary to maintain their relevance and effectiveness. This method brief presents search filters and highlights their value for finding research literature in primary care.