Appendix B: Search Methodology

Health Care Efficiency Measures: Identification, Categorization, and Evaluation

SEARCH #1:
DATABASES SEARCHED AND TIME PERIOD COVERED:
PUBMED —2000-11/2005

OTHER LIMITERS:
ENGLISH
HUMAN

SEARCH STRATEGY
efficien*[ti] OR inefficien*[ti] OR productiv* OR economic profil* OR cost-output
AND
physician* OR health maintenance organization* OR hmo* OR health care system* OR hospital
OR hospitals OR long term care OR delivery of health care OR medical group*
AND
measur* OR evaluat*

NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 664

SEARCH #2
DATABASES SEARCHED AND TIME PERIOD COVERED:
PUBMED—1990-11/2005

OTHER LIMITERS:
ENGLISH

SEARCH STRATEGY:
[efficien*[ti] OR efficiency, organizational OR efficiency[mh] OR inefficien*[ti] OR productiv* OR
economic profil* OR cost-output
AND
physician*[ti] OR physicians[mh] OR managed care OR health maintenance organization* OR
hmo* OR health care system* OR hospital OR hospitals OR long term care OR delivery of
health care OR medical group*)
AND
measur*[ti] OR evaluat*[ti]]
OR
Pubmed “Related Articles” searches on 3 articles
NOT
case report*

NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 813

SEARCH #3
DATABASES SEARCHED AND TIME PERIOD COVERED:
PUBMED—1990-11/2005

OTHER LIMITERS:
ENGLISH
HUMAN

SEARCH STRATEGY:
[efficien*[ti] OR efficiency, organizational[majr] OR inefficien*[ti] OR productiv*
B-2
AND
physician*[ti] OR physicians[mh] OR managed care OR health maintenance organization* OR
hmo* OR health care system* OR hospital OR hospitals OR long term care OR delivery of
health care OR medical group*
AND
measur*[tiab] OR evaluat*[tiab] OR analysis[ti] OR compar* OR technical OR estimat*[ti]]

OR

[efficien*[ti] OR efficiency, organizational[majr] OR inefficien*[ti] OR productiv*
AND
econom*[ti] OR cost*[ti]
AND
physician*[ti] OR physicians[mh] OR managed care OR health maintenance organization* OR
hmo* OR health care system* OR hospital OR hospitals OR long term care OR delivery of
health care OR medical group*

OR

technical efficiency
AND
physician*[ti] OR physicians[mh] OR managed care OR health maintenance organization* OR
hmo* OR health care system* OR hospital OR hospitals OR long term care OR delivery of
health care OR medical group*

NOT
editorial[pt] OR letter[pt]

NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 1983

SEARCH #4
DATABASES SEARCHED AND TIME PERIOD COVERED:
EconLit—1990-2005

SEARCH STRATEGY:
ti: efficien* OR ti: inefficien* OR ti: productiv* OR ti: profil* OR ti: cost-output
AND
kw: physician* OR (kw: managed and kw: care) OR kw: health* OR kw: hmo* OR kw: hospital*
OR (kw: long and kw: term and kw: care) OR kw: medical OR kw: nurs*
AND
de: health*

NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 864
SAMPLE OF ~100 SENT TO RESEARCHER