Sources of information on adverse effects: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Systematic reviews can provide accurate and timely information on adverse effects. An essential part of the systematic review process is a thorough search of the literature. This often requires searching many different sources. However, it is unclear which sources are most effective at providing information on adverse effects. Objective: To identify and summarise studies that have evaluated sources of information on adverse effects. Methods: Studies were located by searching in 10 databases as well as by reference checking, hand searching, citation searching and contacting experts. Results: A total of 6218 citations were retrieved yielding 19 studies which met the inclusion criteria. The included studies tended to focus on the adverse effects of drug interventions and compare the relative value of different sources using the number of relevant references retrieved from searches of each source. However, few studies were conducted recently with a large sample of references. Conclusions: This review suggests that EMBASE, Derwent Drug File, MEDLINE and industry submissions may potentially provide the greatest number of relevant references for information on adverse effects of drugs. However, a systematic evaluation of the current value of different sources of information for adverse effects is urgently required.

Comparison of search strategies in systematic reviews of adverse effects to other systematic reviews

“…There are numerous specialist databases for drug information and adverse effects data that are rarely searched in the 849 systematic reviews. In addition, 20% of reviews only search MEDLINE, yet research has indicated that MEDLINE is not the most fruitful source of adverse effects data and that searching a range of sources is necessary . In one case study, Science Citation Index (SCI) was identified as the most useful database for a drug related adverse effects review, followed by BIOSIS previews and EMBASE, yet these databases are included in 5%, 8% and 54% of the reviews here, respectively …”

“…Guidance indicates that different resources may need to be accessed for systematic reviews of adverse effects compared with systematic reviews of effectiveness . For instance, specific adverse effects databases, such as TOXLINE, or drug databases, such as Derwent Drug File, may be appropriate, and MEDLINE may not be the most relevant source for adverse effects . Other sources of information may also be particularly useful in identifying adverse effects data, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, textbooks (such as Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs), bulletins (such as Medicines Safety Update) and industry data …”

The Contribution of Different Information Sources to Identify Adverse Effects of a Medical Device: A Case Study Using a Systematic Review of Spinal Fusion

“…Previous comparative evaluations on safety data sources have focused on the adverse effects of drug interventions (9). Although this is, to our knowledge, the only evaluation of safety data sources for a medical device, this evaluation can be compared with other studies of search strategies for retrieving adverse effects data (8;9).…”

“…A systematic review of comparative evaluations of data sources for adverse effects identified nineteen studies, the majority of which were concerned with adverse drug reactions, with none evaluating sources for safety data on medical devices (9). A systematic review of comparative evaluations of data sources for adverse effects identified nineteen studies, the majority of which were concerned with adverse drug reactions, with none evaluating sources for safety data on medical devices (9).…”

Identification of Evidence for Key Parameters in Decision-Analytic Models of Cost Effectiveness: A Description of Sources and a Recommended Minimum Search Requirement

“…Whilst early research suggests that the Derwent Drug File may have some value [27] more recent research suggests that generic bibliographic databases as described above may provide the highest yield [20].…”