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Introductory file to accompany the Search Strategies data file,
Search strategies to investigate decision making by older adults and appraisal by GPs following cancer symptoms

Search methodology 
9 academic databases and 3 other sources were searched on 29th April 2020 and on 29th July 2021. The search strategies looked for search terms for the concepts: Cancer, Older Adults, Primary Care, Shared Decision-Making. No limits were added. The search strategy was compiled in the Ovid Medline database by Judy Wright, adapting a search strategy from a similar review [1] and checking the strategy identified known relevant studies. The search strategy was refined with the project team until the results retrieved reflected the scope of the project. The final Medline search was amended to run across the other databases. All searches were peer-reviewed by an Information Specialist. The 2021 update searches were run in the same sources and used the same strategies as the 2020 searches.
The databases searched were: 
* EBSCOhost CINAHL  
* Ovid Embase Classic+Embase 1947 to 2021 July 28 
* Ovid MEDLINE(R) ALL 1946 to July 28, 2021 
* Ovid APA PsycInfo 1806 to July Week 3 2021 
* ProQuest Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA)?
* Web of Science Core Collection which included the following searched simulateously:
o Arts & Humanities Citation Index (Web of Science) 1975-present
o Conference Proceedings Citation Index- Science (Web of Science) 1990-present
o Conference Proceedings Citation Index- Social Science & Humanities (Web of Science) 1990-present
o Science Citation Index-Expanded (Web of Science) 1900-present 
o  Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science) 1900-present
o  Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science) 2015-present
* Wiley Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials: Issue 7 of 12, July 2021 
* Wiley Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: Issue 7 of 12, July 2021
Other sources:
* ClinicalTrials.gov  
* Evidence Search https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/  
* ISRCTN registry www.isrctn.com      
Search strategies for all databases and sources are described in a full and reproducible format in the associated search strategy data file.
Records found before and after duplicate removal:
The database searches identified 5336 records in 2020 and 5972 records in 2021.  Once duplicates were removed there were 3934 records. The AUHE Information Specialist’s deduplication method (2) was used to removed duplicates.

References
1) Puts MT, Tapscott B, Fitch M, Howell D, Monette J, Wan-Chow-Wah D, Krzyzanowska M, Leighl NB, Springall E, Alibhai SM. A systematic review of factors influencing older adults’ decision to accept or decline cancer treatment. Cancer treatment reviews. 2015 Feb 1;41(2):197-215. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2014.12.010  
2) AUHE Information Specialists. 2016. Checking for Duplicates Guidance. https://information-specialists.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/71/2019/03/Duplicate_checking_guidance.pdf [accessed 03/08/2021]






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