DOI: 10.17037/data.00001751
title: Search strategies for: How can e-health interventions reduce the ‘syndemic’ of HIV/STIs and sexual risk, substance use and mental ill health among men who have sex with men?

description: A search strategy created for a study titled: How can e-health interventions reduce the ‘syndemic’ of HIV/STIs and sexual risk, substance use and mental ill health among men who have sex with men? The search strategy included strings of terms, synonyms and controlled vocabulary terms (where available) to reflect two concepts: [1] Men who have sex with men (including bisexual and trans men and women), and [2] E-health (including hardware and software means of delivery). Key search terms were determined by using published strategies covering LGBT+ population and e-health interventions, and tested using a systematic approach. The draft search strategy was compiled in the OvidSP Medline database by an experienced information specialist, and refined with the project team until the results retrieved reflected the scope of the project. The agreed OvidSP Medline search was subsequently adapted (to incorporate database-specific syntax and controlled vocabularies of each database) and applied to the following information sources: ProQuest Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ASSIA), Campbell Library, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, Wiley Cochrane Library, CRD Databases, EPPI-Centre Database of Health Promotion Research (Bibliomap), ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, OvidSP EconLit, OvidSP Embase, OvidSP Global Health, OvidSP HMIC (Health Management Information Consortium), ProQuest International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), Ovid MEDLINE(R), OvidSP PsycInfo, Web of Science Science Citation Index Expanded, Scopus, OvidSP Social Policy & Practice, Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index Expanded, ProQuest Sociological Abstracts, ClinicalTrials.gov, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), EPPI-Centre Trials Register of Promoting Health Interventions (TRoPHI), and Google.
description: A draft search strategy was compiled in the OvidSP Medline database by an experienced information specialist. The search strategy included strings of terms, synonyms and controlled vocabulary terms (where available) to reflect two concepts: Concept 1: Men who have sex with men (including bisexual and trans men and women) Concept 2: E-health (including hardware and software means of delivery) These concepts were combined using the Boolean operator AND. We did not use outcome terms in our searches as these are likely to miss studies reporting non-significant effects on our outcomes. Our searches involved different free text and controlled vocabulary terms for each of these concepts using “OR”. The combination of these concepts was considered specific enough to include all available studies regardless of study design. We restricted the searches by date (1995 onwards since such media were unavailable prior to this) but not by language or publication type. Key search terms were determined by using published strategies covering LGBT+ population and e-health interventions, and tested using a systematic approach. This search strategy was refined with the project team until the results retrieved reflected the scope of the project. The agreed OvidSP Medline search was adapted for each database to incorporate database-specific syntax and controlled vocabularies. Full details of the search strings used for each database are included. Databases The following databases were searched between 23 October 2018 and 26 November 2018 and again between 22-27 April 2020. These databases were selected to retrieve research literature from the fields of health and social sciences. * ProQuest Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ASSIA) (1987 – current as of 29 October 2018). Due to lack of access, this database search was not updated in April 2020. * Campbell Library (complete database as of 27 April 2020) * EBSCO CINAHL Plus (complete database as of 22 April 2020) * Wiley Cochrane Library (complete database as of 27 April 2020) * CRD Databases (DARE & NHS EED no longer updated, stopped in 2015. HTA updated as of 26/10/2018). This database had not been updated so was not searched in 2020. * EPPI-Centre Database of Health Promotion Research (Bibliomap) (full database as of 27 April 2020) * ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (1951 – current as of 27 April 2020) * OvidSP EconLit (1886 to April 16, 2020) * OvidSP Embase (1980 to 2020 April 21) * OvidSP Global Health (1910 to 2020 week 15) * OvidSP HMIC (Health Management Information Consortium) (1979 to July 2018). Due to lack of access this database search was not updated in April 2020. * ProQuest International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) (1951 – current as of 29 October 2018). Due to lack of access this database search was not updated in April 2020. * Ovid MEDLINE(R) ALL (1946 to April 21, 2020) * OvidSP PsycInfo (1806 to April week 2, 2020) * Web of Science Science Citation Index Expanded (1970 – present. Data last updated 2020/04/21) * Scopus (complete database as of 22 April 2020) * OvidSP Social Policy & Practice (202001) * Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index Expanded (1970 – present. Data last updated 2020/04/21) * ProQuest Sociological Abstracts (1952 – current as of 29 October 2018). Due to lack of access this database search was not updated in April 2020. Search strategy for other literature sources The following clinical trials registers were searched for relevant ongoing and unpublished trials: * ClinicalTrials.gov (complete database as of 27 April 2020) * World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (complete database as of 26 November 2018). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ICTRP search functionality was removed. Therefore this search could not be updated. * EPPI-Centre Trials Register of Promoting Health Interventions (TRoPHI) (full database as of 27 April 2020). Search terms were derived from the OvidSP Medline search compiled for database searching. All trial details were examined for their relevance and included if they met our inclusion criteria. To find other grey literature, the complete OpenGrey database was searched on 01 November 2018 and again on 27 April 2020, using a version of the OvidSP Medline search compiled for database searching. Google was searched in incognito mode, to look for non-governmental organisation and governmental publications on 21 November 2018. Search terms were derived from the OvidSP Medline search compiled for database searching. The first 100 results for each search were examined for their relevance and included if they met our inclusion criteria. The Google search was not updated in 2020. Complete search strings for the searches conducted in 2018 are provided below. The update search run in 2020 used identical search strings. For all searches, numbers in parentheses are the number of results retrieved.