What is the PubMed Database skill for Claude Code?

It is a specialized capability that allows Claude to search the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database, construct complex medical queries, and interact with the NCBI E-utilities API programmatically.

What citation formats does this skill support?

The skill can retrieve and export data in various formats including NBIB (for Zotero/Mendeley/EndNote), CSV for data analysis, and XML or Medline text for programmatic processing.

How does the skill handle complex MeSH searches?

It supports full MeSH syntax, including the [mh] tag for controlled terms, [majr] for major topics, and specific subheadings like /therapy or /epidemiology for precise clinical filtering.

Can I use this skill for systematic reviews?

Yes, the skill includes guidelines for the PICO framework and advanced Boolean/MeSH support specifically designed for conducting rigorous systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses.

Does this skill require an NCBI API key?

An API key is not strictly required for low-volume searching, but it is highly recommended for automated workflows as it increases the rate limit from 3 to 10 requests per second.

PubMed Database Research

Name: PubMed Database Research
Author: ricable

byricable

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Data Science & ML

Automates biomedical literature searches and data retrieval from the PubMed database using advanced MeSH queries and the E-utilities API.

About

This skill empowers researchers and developers to integrate comprehensive biomedical literature access directly into their AI workflows. By leveraging the National Library of Medicine's E-utilities API, it enables advanced search construction using Boolean operators and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), systematic review automation, and batch citation management. It is particularly useful for life sciences projects requiring programmatic article retrieval, automated literature monitoring, or PICO-structured systematic analysis, providing structured access to millions of citations from MEDLINE and life science journals.

Key Features

1 GitHub stars
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) support for precise controlled vocabulary searching
Direct integration with NCBI E-utilities REST API for programmatic ESearch and EFetch operations
Systematic literature review tools utilizing the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) framework
Batch export of citations and metadata in formats like NBIB, CSV, and XML
Advanced search query construction using Boolean operators, field tags, and wildcards

Use Cases

Retrieving detailed citation metadata and abstracts for large-scale data analysis or AI training projects
Building automated workflows for monitoring new publications in specific medical or scientific fields
Conducting systematic literature reviews or meta-analyses for biomedical and clinical research

About

Key Features

1 GitHub stars
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) support for precise controlled vocabulary searching
Direct integration with NCBI E-utilities REST API for programmatic ESearch and EFetch operations
Systematic literature review tools utilizing the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) framework
Batch export of citations and metadata in formats like NBIB, CSV, and XML
Advanced search query construction using Boolean operators, field tags, and wildcards

Use Cases

Retrieving detailed citation metadata and abstracts for large-scale data analysis or AI training projects
Building automated workflows for monitoring new publications in specific medical or scientific fields
Conducting systematic literature reviews or meta-analyses for biomedical and clinical research