Searching Medline
GRATEFUL MED: A NEW WAY TO SEARCH MEDLINE
The National Library of Medicine has produced a software package called GRATEFUL MED that permits health professionals and other individuals to easily use their personal computers to search MEDLINE, its backfiles, and CATLINE. (MEDLINE and CATLINE are two online files in NLM’s MEDLARS system. MEDLINE and its backfiles contain more than 5 million references to journal articles, many with abstracts, from more than 3,200 biomedical journals from 1966 to present. CATLINE contains 600,000 records for books and serials in the NLM collection.)
GRATEFUL MED can be run on an IBM PC or compatible machine equipped with a Hayes (or fully compatible) modem. The user enters author, title, or subject information on a simple formatted screen. Searches can also be limited to English language, review articles, or a specific journal.
GRATEFUL MED then translates the search into the language of the mainframe computer at NLM, autodials that computer, logs on with the user’s code and password, uploads and processes the search, downloads the results to the user’s PC and logs off. The user can then review the results at leisure, responding to relevancy questions for the retrieved citations. GRATEFUL MED keeps tract of the answers, and when the review of citations is finished, suggests additional search terms from NLM’s controlled vocabulary, called MESH (Medical Subject Headings).
Because the intellectual processes of choosing the words to search and reviewing the citations are done offline, costs for connect time are kept to a minimum; many searches can be done for under $3.
Any of NLM’s 20-plus databases can be searched using the regular command language (ELHILL) via GRATEFUL MED and still take advantage of the autodial and downloading features.
The software was designed and developed by Davis B. McCarn, President of Online Information International, Inc., of Rockville, MD. He is now working with NLM staff to complete Version 2, which is expected to be released early in 1987. Two of the major enhancements include: access to the MESH vocabulary for selection of terms before the search is run and downloading of updates and changes to the program. The new version will also include a more detailed manual, although extensive HELP screens are included included for all aspects of use. NLM plans to provide Version 2 at no charge to those who have purchased Version 1.
GRATEFUL MED is available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. (Phone: 703/487-4650.) The order number is PB86-158482. The price is $29.95 plus $3.00 shipping and handling per order; Visa, Mastercharge, or American Express are accepted by NTIS.
A form for obtaining a code and password is included with the software package. This must be filled out and sent to the MEDLARS Management Section at NLM for code assignment. Monthly billing for connect hour use, which is approximately $20 per hour, is done by NTIS. Any questions can be directed to the MEDLARS Management Service Desk, NLM. (800)638-8480.