Module 2 Posting: Information Retrieval

This assignment has really shown me the dynamics and differences that exist between different search mechanisms. My quest to learn more about pediatric atrial septal defects (ASD)and treatment via catheterization began on Pub Med where I used MeSH terms and limits to refine my search and located 89 viable resources regarding transcatheter closures of pediatric ASDs. There are currently no published randomized control trials (RCT) for this procedure but I was able to find studies that looked at long term success of this new closure technique and possible effects on the pulmonary system. I feel that Pub Med supplied me with a great deal of information that would be useful in clinical practice. It can be time consuming to use this resource but I feel that will improve with continued use and practice.
Next I moved on to the National Guidelines Clearinghouse (NGC) website to investigate if there were any published clinical guidelines for the use of transcatheter closure for ASD defects in my defined population. Unfortunately, no guidelines currently exist for pediatric patients. There are, however, very specific guidelines for closure for the adult population. I found it frustrating that I could not find more concrete information on this website. The site was straight forward and easy to use.
Finally I performed a search on Google and typed in "Pediatric Atrial Septal Defect treatment" into the search box. I was a bit surprised at the number of results that emerged from this search. Many of them were websites from cardiology services offered at children's hospitals across the country. These websites contained pertinent information for families of children with ASDs but did not contain the more clinical data I require. These sites could be useful tools when patients need to access educational materials to better understand their child's health condition. One website, however, eMedicine.com did hold my interest as there was a link to "General Concepts" for ASDs in the pediatric population. The information, authored by a pediatric cardiologist, contained information regarding diagnosing ASD during exam (clinical assessment), treatment protocols, differences between types of ASDs and more. I found this site to be a good comprehensive overview of the current trends in pediatric ASD management.
In our day to day practice, there may be times we need to access pertinent data and research for our own knowledge and benefit. I feel that tools such as Pub Med and the NGC are better suited for our context of knowing and education. In instances where patients are requesting information, the world-wide web can be a useful tool. When directing our patients to the internet as a resource, we need to help them locate reputable information that is written in a way that they can understand (less jargon, etc). We need to do our part to know the resources out there to help prevent patients for obtaining inaccurate data.