Search strategy and evidence selection

Search strategy

The following databases were searched on 18 February 2014 with the stated search criteria.

Ovid MEDLINE(R) In‑Process & Other Non‑Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE(R) 1946 to Present and Embase 1974 to 2014 April 30.

For clinical evidence

1. hernia

2. bard

3. polysoft

4. onestep

5. #2 or #3 or #4

6. #1 and #5

PUBMED

For clinical evidence

1. hernia.mp.

2. bard.mp.

3. polysoft.mp.

4. onestep.mp.

5. #2 or #3 or #4

6. #1 and #5

Cochrane Library

For clinical evidence

1. hernia.mp.

2. bard.mp.

3. polysoft.mp.

4. onestep.mp.

5. #2 or #3 or #4

6. #1 and #5

Evidence selection

Total number of abstracts: 776

Duplicates: 85

Titles and abstracts reviewed: 683

Full papers reviewed: 6

Exclusion criteria: case studies, editorials, letters, reviews, conference proceedings/abstracts, animal studies, and non‑English language studies, not using the PolySoft patch for inguinal hernia repair.

Search strategy (economic evidence)

Ovid MEDLINE(R) In‑Process & Other Non‑Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE(R) 1946 to Present and Embase 1980 to 2014 Week 19

1. hernia*.mp.

2. Inguinal hernia repair.mp.

3. Open hernia repair.mp.

4. ONSTEP hernia repair.mp.

5. ONSTEP.mp.

6. hernioplasty procedure.mp.

7. 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6

8. PolySoft hernia patch.mp.

9. PolySoft.mp.

10. Bard.mp.

11. 8 or 9 or 10

12. cost*.mp.

13. economic*.mp.

14. #12 or #13

15. #1 and #7 and #11 and #14

16. limit #15 to English language

17. limit #16 to human

PUBMED

((("hernia") AND (Inguinal hernia repair OR Open hernia repair OR ONSTEP hernia repair OR ONSTEP OR hernioplasty procedure)) AND (PolySoft hernia patch OR PolySoft OR Bard)) AND (cost* OR economic*)

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: Issue 5 of 12, May 2014, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials: Issue 4 of 12, April 2014

#1 hernia*

#2 Inguinal hernia repair or Open hernia repair or ONSTEP hernia repair or ONSTEP or hernioplasty procedure

#3 PolySoft hernia patch or PolySoft or Bard

#4 cost* or economic*

#5 #1 and #2 and #3 and #4

DARE (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects), NHS EED (National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database), and HTA (Health Technology Assessment) databases

(Hernia) AND ((Inguinal hernia repair) OR (Open hernia repair) OR (ONSTEP hernia repair OR hernioplasty procedure)) AND ((PolySoft hernia patch) OR (PolySoft) OR (Bard)) AND ((cost) OR (economic)) IN DARE, NHSEED, HTA FROM 1960 TO 2014

Evidence selection (economic evidence)

Total abstracts: 14

Duplicates: 2

Abstracts reviewed: 12

Full papers reviewed: 0

Exclusion criteria: case studies, editorials, letters, reviews, conference proceedings/abstracts, animal studies, and non‑English language studies, not using the PolySoft patch for inguinal hernia repair.