In the context of the forum thread, how can the use of LIKE '%' in SQL queries impact the accuracy and efficiency of data retrieval?

Using LIKE '%' in SQL queries can impact the accuracy and efficiency of data retrieval because it performs a full table scan, which can be slow and resource-intensive, especially for large datasets. To improve performance, it is recommended to use more specific patterns in the LIKE clause or utilize indexes on the columns being searched.

// Example of using a more specific pattern in the LIKE clause
$searchTerm = 'example';
$query = "SELECT * FROM table_name WHERE column_name LIKE '%$searchTerm%'";
// Execute the query and fetch results