Ranking the Evidence-Based Medical Databases Using Ovid's Assessment Criterion through Hierarchical Analysis Method

Background and Aim: Evidence-based medicine is the systematic process of assessing the most reliable evidence from clinical research for decision making in clinical care. The variety of assessment criteria and confusion in selecting the reliable scientific resources has challenged users. Therefore, the current study was conducted with the aim to rank evidence-based medical databases using Ovid's assessment criteria through hierarchical analysis method.
Methods: The current study is an applied descriptive-survey research conducted using field and cross-sectional studies in the first six months of 2017 in libraries of Tehran city medical universities (Tehran, Shahid Beheshti, Iran, and Baqiyatallah). Data were provided through systematic review based on Ovid assessment criterion, and collected in the form of paired comparison questionnaire by 20 experts' opinions. After that, data were analyzed using hierarchical analysis technique and Expert Choice 11 software. This criterion includes 6 main measures and 48 sub-measures.
Results: According to the obtained results of the study, a search criterion with the weight of 0.247, guides criterion with the weight of 0.172, services criterion with the weight of 0.166, display criterion with the weight of 0.156, link criterion with the weight of 0.151, and performance criterion with the weight of 0.109 were put in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and the last or sixth priority with inconsistency rate of 0.10, respectively. The Cochrane database with the coefficient of 0.491 and Up to Date database with the coefficient of 0.224, assigned the highest and the lowest priority to themselves amongst the databases.
Conclusion: In order to develop and improve the activities of medical evidence-based databases, authorities should pay attention to the users' desired criteria and apply their recommendations. Moreover, the users must be taught how to use databases.