Appendix 2. Search Strings

Publication Details

1. MEDLINE search string

MEDLINE Initial Strategy (Identical for all questions) - 1993 to November 1997

1.

Explode Head Injuries/Rehab

2.

Explode Head/Injury

3.

rh.fs.

4.

2 and 3

5.

Head injur $.tw

6.

Brain injur $.tw

7.

5 or 6

8.

7 and 3

9.

1 or 4 or 8

MEDLINE Questions 1 and 2 Strategy

10.

Limit 9 to human

11.

Exp hospitals/

12.

Accute.tw.

13.

Exp intensive care units

14.

Early.tw.

15.

Length of stay/

16.

Exp emergency medical services/

17.

Emergency medicine/

18.

Exp hospitalization/

19.

Interdisciplinary rehabil$.tw.

20.

Speech therapy/

21.

Physiatry.tw.

22.

Exp physical therapy/

23.

Physical therapy department, hospital/

24.

Occupational therapy/

25.

Occupational therapy department, hospital/

26.

Exp rehabilitation/

27.

Exp rehabilitation centers/

28.

Rehabilitation.tw.

29.

19 or 20 or 21 or 22 or 23 or 24 or 25 or 26 or 27 or 28

30.

Exp head injuries/

31.

29 and 30

32.

10 or 31

33.

11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17 or 18 or 19 or 20 or 21 or 22 or 23 or 24 or 25 or 26 or 27 or 28

34.

32 and 33

35.

Exp clinical trials

36.

32 and 35

37.

From 36 keep 1-4

38.

From 34 keep 1-5, 8-12, 14, 18, 20-22, 25, 27-28

MEDLINE Question 3 Strategy

10.

Limit 9 to human

11.

Exp cognition/

12.

Exp cognition disorders/

13.

Cognit$.tw

14.

Exp memory/

15.

Exp memory disorders/

16.

Attention/

17.

exp perception/

18.

exp learning

19.

exp learning disorders/

20.

judgment/

21.

11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17 or 18 or 19

22.

10 and 21

23.

from 22 keep 2-3, 8, 11, 14-15, 17-18, 20-21, 23

MEDLINE Question 4 Strategy

10.

Limit 9 to human

11.

Exp employment/

12.

Work capacity evaluation/

13.

Exp work/

14.

absenteeism/

15.

Employment.tw.

16.

Employed.tw.

17.

Vocational education/

18.

Exp rehabilitation, vocational/

  • sheltered workshops/
  • 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17 or 18 or 19
  • 10 and 20
  • from 21 keep 1-10, 12-13, 15-16, 18-26, 28-38, 40
  • exp brain injuries/
  • 20 and 23
  • 24 not 21
  • limit 25 to human
  • from 26 keep 7-9, 19, 22, 29

Medline Question 5 Strategy

10.

case management/

11.

exp home nursing/

12.

forecasting/

13.

follow-up studies/

14.

long term.tw.

15.

longterm.tw.

16.

social work/

  • 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16
  • exp *brain injuries/
  • 9 or 18
  • 17 and 19
  • limit 20 to human
  • 10 or 11 or 16
  • 22 and 21
  • from 23 keep 1-2, 4-8
  • 21 not 23
  • from 25 keep 5-8, 11-13, 15, 20, 23, 32, 35-36, 38

2. HealthSTAR search strings

HealthSTAR strategy (identical for all questions) 1993 to November 1997

1.

Explode Head Injuries/Rehab

2.

Explode Head/Injury

3.

rh.fs.

4.

2 and 3

5.

Head injur$.tw

6.

Brain injur $.tw

7.

5 or 6

8.

7 and 3

  • 1 or 4 or 8

3. CINAHL search strings

CINAHL general search strategy (all questions) 1982 to October 1997

  • american journal of occupational therapy.jn
  • archives of physical medicine and rehabilitat
  • clinical rehabilitation.jn.
  • disability & rehabilitation.jn.
  • international journal of rehabilitation res
  • journal of rehabilitation research & develo
  • physical therapy.jn.
  • quality of life research.jn.
  • rehabiliation nursing.jn.
  • rehabiliation.jn.
  • 9 or 10
  • scandinavian journal of rehabiliation medi
  • scandinavian journal of rehabiliation medi
  • 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10
  • exp brain injuries/
  • brain injur$.tw.
  • 15 or 16
  • exp rehabiliation/
  • rh.fs.
  • 18 or 19
  • 17 and 30
  • 21 not 14
  • from 22 keep 1-7, 9-10, 12-13, 15-20, 22-24, 26
  • from 22 keep 6, 12-13, 15-16, 20-22, 24, 29-30, 33
  • 23 or 24
  • brain injury.jn.
  • 22 not 26
  • 25 not 26
  • 27 not 28
  • from 29 keep 6-7, 14, 17, 20, 22, 25, 32-33, 35-36
  • 28 or 30
  • 22 not 31

4. PyschInfo search string

PsycInfo search strategy (all questions) 1982 to October 1997

  • exp brain damage/
  • exp head injuries/
  • 2 not 1
  • brain.tw.
  • 3 and 4
  • 1 or 5
  • exp cognitive rehabilitation
  • exp rehabilitation
  • exp rehabilitation centers/
  • exp vocational rehabilitation/
  • exp employment status/
  • exp case management/
  • clinical trials.tw.
  • 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 or 11 or 12 or 13
  • 6 and 14

5. Current Contents search string

Current Contents search strategy ( all questions) Week 01, 1998 to Week 21, 1998

  • head injur$.ab,ti,kw,kp.
  • Brain injur$.ab,ti.kw,kp.
  • 1 or 2