How is PICO Portal Individual different from PubMed?
ComparisonPubMed does not answer in a paragraph, and it does not keep a screening record. PICO Portal Individual can sit beside that search, not replace the protocol's named database.
What does PubMed do that PICO Portal Individual does not?
For a clinical question, PubMed is still the index you name in the protocol. MeSH is the controlled vocabulary.
PubMed is the free biomedical index from the National Library of Medicine, with MeSH. Open PubMed.
How do they compare on search, answer, and screen?
| PICO Portal Individual | PubMed | |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 14-day free trial. No department contract. | Free. |
| Search | 470 million articles from OpenAlex, ORCID and PubMed. | Biomedical search with MeSH. |
| Answer | Plain language. Each claim links to a source you can open. | None. A result list. |
| Screen | Named reviewer, time, rationale, and the source passage. | None. |
Who should use which?
PICO Portal Individual — The cited answer and the screen, including records you upload from PubMed.
PubMed — The protocol search for a biomedical review.
Can I use PICO Portal Individual and PubMed in the same review?
Yes. Keep PubMed for Biomedical search with MeSH. Put the include or exclude in PICO Portal Individual. The record shows the named reviewer, the time, the rationale, and the source passage.
Do I name PubMed in the methods?
Yes, if you searched there. Also name PICO Portal Individual if the decision sits there. A reader must be able to open the same record.
Can a student start without a university license?
Yes. PICO Portal Individual starts with a 14-day free trial and does not need a department contract. PubMed: Free.
What do I lose if I leave PubMed?
For a clinical question, PubMed is still the index you name in the protocol. MeSH is the controlled vocabulary.
Does either tool write the review?
No. PubMed returns None. A result list. PICO Portal Individual returns a cited answer. You write the sentence.
Where is the decision record?
On the PICO Portal Individual record: named reviewer, timestamp, rationale, source passage. PubMed: None.
Can I upload a file from PubMed?
Yes, if it is a citation file. You then see that file in the same queue as the OpenAlex results.
Which tool do I open first?
Open PubMed if you already have a list. Open PICO Portal Individual if you have a question and no file.
Is the answer a substitute for the paper?
No. Open the citation. The passage is on the record so a second person can check the claim.
What can a supervisor check?
The question, the search, each include or exclude, and the passage. You see the queue, the conflicts, and the agreement while the stage is still open.