Quick Topic Researcher
5 minutes to topic mastery. This skill generates a focused research brief you can use immediately before recording a video or writing content.
Different from deep-researcher: That skill is comprehensive (5+ sources, file-based, 30+ minutes). This skill is FAST (5 questions, parallel search, 5 minutes).
When to Use
| Use Case | This Skill |
|---|---|
| Prepping for a YouTube video | Yes |
| Writing a quick tweet thread | Yes |
| Refreshing knowledge on a topic | Yes |
| Before a podcast discussion | Yes |
| Comprehensive literature review | No → Use deep-researcher |
| Writing a formal editorial | No → Use deep-researcher first |
How It Works
TOPIC: "GLP-1 agonists in heart failure"
DOMAIN: "Cardiology"
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STEP 1: Generate 5 Research Questions │
│ │
│ 1. Do GLP-1 agonists reduce heart failure │
│ hospitalization in diabetic patients? │
│ 2. Is there evidence of direct cardiac benefit? │
│ 3. What are the key trials showing CV outcomes? │
│ 4. Are there safety concerns in existing HF? │
│ 5. What do current guidelines recommend? │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STEP 2: Parallel Research (5 searches at once) │
│ │
│ [PubMed Q1] [PubMed Q2] [PubMed Q3] [Perplexity Q4] │
│ [Perplexity Q5] │
│ │
│ ~30 seconds total │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STEP 3: McKinsey-Style Brief │
│ │
│ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY │
│ • Key finding with strongest PMID │
│ │
│ ANALYSIS │
│ • Theme 1: Trial evidence (PMIDs) │
│ • Theme 2: Mechanisms (PMIDs) │
│ • Theme 3: Guidelines │
│ │
│ CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS │
│ • What this means for your content │
│ │
│ KEY PMIDS TO CITE │
│ • List of 5-7 citation-ready references │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Usage
Interactive Mode (Recommended)
Ask Claude:
Use quick-topic-researcher for [TOPIC] in [DOMAIN]Example:
Use quick-topic-researcher for "SGLT2 inhibitors in CKD" in "Cardiology/Nephrology"CLI Mode (Coming Soon)
python skills/cardiology/quick-topic-researcher/scripts/quick_research.py \
--topic "GLP-1 agonists in heart failure" \
--domain "Cardiology"Research Sources
Primary (Citable)
| Source | Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| PubMed MCP | pubmed_search_articles, pubmed_fetch_contents | All medical evidence |
| Guidelines | Direct URL fetch to ACC/ESC/ADA | Recommendations |
Discovery (Not Citable)
| Source | Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Perplexity | perplexity_ask via MCP | Quick context, trend discovery |
| Web Search | WebSearch | Background, non-medical context |
Rule: You can USE Perplexity to understand context, but you CITE only PubMed.
Output Format
The skill outputs a structured brief:
# Quick Research Brief: [TOPIC]
**Domain:** [DOMAIN]
**Generated:** [DATE]
**Time to Read:** 3 minutes
---
## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentences: What you need to know before recording/writing]
Key takeaway: [ONE sentence with strongest PMID]
---
## Research Questions & Findings
### Q1: [Question]
**Answer:** [Concise answer]
**Evidence:** [Study name, PMID, key stat (HR, CI, p-value)]
### Q2: [Question]
**Answer:** [Concise answer]
**Evidence:** [Study name, PMID, key stat]
[... Q3-Q5 ...]
---
## Clinical Context
### What Guidelines Say
[ACC/ESC/ADA recommendations with class/level]
### Practice Implications
[What this means for real patients]
---
## Content Hooks
For your video/content, consider these angles:
1. [Hook 1 based on findings]
2. [Hook 2 based on findings]
3. [Hook 3 based on findings]
---
## Citation-Ready References
1. Author A, et al. TRIAL-NAME. Journal. Year. PMID: XXXXXXXX
2. Author B, et al. Study Name. Journal. Year. PMID: XXXXXXXX
3. [5-7 total references]
---
## Gaps & Caveats
- [What the evidence doesn't cover]
- [Patient populations with limited data]Integration with Content Pipeline
Before YouTube Script
1. Run quick-topic-researcher on your video topic
2. Review the brief (3 min read)
3. Open youtube-script-master with the brief in context
4. Script now has verified facts and PMIDsBefore Tweet Thread
1. Run quick-topic-researcher
2. Pick 1-2 key findings from the brief
3. Use x-post-creator-skill with specific PMIDsBefore Newsletter
1. Run quick-topic-researcher for quick take
2. If topic is complex, follow up with deep-researcher
3. Write with cardiology-newsletter-writerExample Session
User: Use quick-topic-researcher for "colchicine in cardiovascular prevention" in "Cardiology"
Claude:
I'll research this topic rapidly using PubMed and generate a brief.
Step 1: Generating 5 research questions...
- Does colchicine reduce major cardiovascular events in CAD patients?
- What are the key RCTs (COLCOT, LoDoCo2, CLEAR SYNERGY)?
- What is the proposed anti-inflammatory mechanism?
- What are the safety concerns and contraindications?
- What do current guidelines recommend?
Step 2: Parallel research...
[Executes 5 PubMed searches in parallel] [Fetches key article abstracts] [Searches Perplexity for context]
Step 3: Generating McKinsey-style brief...
Quick Research Brief: Colchicine in CV Prevention
Domain: Cardiology Generated: 2026-01-01 Time to Read: 3 minutes
Executive Summary
Low-dose colchicine (0.5mg daily) reduces cardiovascular events in patients with established coronary artery disease through anti-inflammatory mechanisms. COLCOT and LoDoCo2 showed consistent benefit; CLEAR SYNERGY was neutral but in a different population.
Key takeaway: In stable CAD patients, colchicine 0.5mg daily reduces CV events by ~25% (HR 0.69-0.77) (PMID: 31733140, 32865377)
Research Questions & Findings
Q1: Does colchicine reduce major CV events?
Answer: Yes, in stable CAD Evidence: LoDoCo2: HR 0.69 (0.57-0.83), p<0.001 for CV death/MI/stroke (PMID: 32865377)
Q2: What are the key trials?
Answer: COLCOT (post-MI), LoDoCo2 (chronic CAD), CLEAR SYNERGY (post-PCI) Evidence:
- COLCOT: 0.5mg, HR 0.77 for composite (PMID: 31733140)
- LoDoCo2: 0.5mg, HR 0.69 for composite (PMID: 32865377)
- CLEAR SYNERGY: Neutral for primary endpoint (PMID: 37634428)
Q3: What is the mechanism?
Answer: NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition, IL-1β reduction Evidence: Reduces hsCRP; targets residual inflammatory risk (PMID: 29724838)
Q4: Safety concerns?
Answer: GI side effects, myopathy with statins, CKD dose adjustment Evidence: NNH for GI: ~50; avoid with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (PMID: 31733140)
Q5: Guidelines?
Answer: Class IIb in ESC 2024 for chronic CAD Evidence: ESC 2024 CCS Guidelines, consider in patients with elevated hsCRP
Clinical Context
What Guidelines Say
ESC 2024: Class IIb, Level A - "Colchicine 0.5mg may be considered to reduce CV risk in chronic coronary syndrome"
Practice Implications
- Best candidates: Stable CAD with elevated hsCRP despite optimal therapy
- Less certain: Immediately post-MI (COLCOT positive, but smaller effect)
- Probably not: Post-PCI without other CAD (CLEAR SYNERGY neutral)
Content Hooks
- "The inflammation hypothesis finally has a drug - and it's ancient"
- "0.5mg for 50 cents - the cheapest CV prevention we've ignored"
- "Why the cardiologist's gout drug became a heart drug"
Citation-Ready References
- Tardif JC, et al. COLCOT. NEJM. 2019. PMID: 31733140
- Nidorf SM, et al. LoDoCo2. NEJM. 2020. PMID: 32865377
- Jolly SS, et al. CLEAR SYNERGY. NEJM. 2024. PMID: 37634428
- Ridker PM. Residual inflammatory risk. JACC. 2018. PMID: 29724838
- ESC CCS Guidelines 2024
Gaps & Caveats
- No RCT in primary prevention (only secondary prevention studied)
- Unclear benefit in patients with normal hsCRP
- Long-term safety (>3 years) data limited
- CLEAR SYNERGY challenges universal applicability
Ready for your video! You now have verified facts, PMIDs, and content hooks.
Comparison with Other Skills
| Skill | Time | Depth | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| quick-topic-researcher | 5 min | Surface + key trials | Video prep, quick refresh |
deep-researcher | 30-60 min | Comprehensive | Editorials, literature review |
pubmed-database | 2 min | Single search | Specific question |
perplexity-search | 1 min | Trend only | Discovery, non-citable |
Technical Implementation
Dependencies
- PubMed MCP (existing)
- Perplexity MCP (existing)
- Claude (default model)
Parallel Execution
The skill uses Claude's ability to make multiple tool calls simultaneously:
# These run in parallel (single message, multiple tool calls)
pubmed_search_articles(queryTerm="colchicine cardiovascular RCT", maxResults=10)
pubmed_search_articles(queryTerm="colchicine mechanism inflammation", maxResults=5)
perplexity_ask(messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "colchicine cardiology guidelines 2024"}])Output
- Markdown brief (displayed in terminal)
- Optional: Save to
~/research_briefs/{topic}_{date}.md
*This skill gets you from "I need to know about X" to "I can confidently speak about X" in 5 minutes.*