Step 1: Ask a clinical question
The first step of Evidence Based Practice is to identify a clinical query. Then shape it into a focused and answerable clinical question.
Developing a clinical question can help to highlight key concepts from your clinical information need. These key concepts serve as the basis for searching relevant research evidence to address your clinical question.
There are two main types of clinical questions: background questions and foreground questions. Knowing the type of clinical question you want to address can help when deciding where to search for research evidence.
What is a background question?
Background clinical questions are broad and general questions. They can usually be addressed with information found in textbooks, general clinical resources or by the patient themselves.
For example:
- How long have you had these symptoms?
- How do I set up a saline drip?
Addressing a background question can provide understanding around a clinical information need/problem. This can help you to develop a well-informed foreground question.
What is a foreground question?
Foreground clinical questions are complex and specific questions. To be addressed these questions require the most up-to-date and highest quality research evidence.
For example:
- Does handwashing among healthcare workers reduce hospital-acquired infection?
- In patients with osteoarthritis of the hip, is water therapy more effective than land-based exercise in restoring range-of-motion?
Addressing a foreground question can inform clinical decisions and determine the best course of action for patient care.
Tip
To make it easier to find evidence to address your clinical question, time needs to be spent on structuring and refining your question.
Types of foreground questions
There are different types of foreground questions, each focusing on a different action in response to the clinical problem:
Click on the plus (+) icons below to learn about the various types of foreground questions.
Using question frameworks to shape foreground questions
Question frameworks such as PICO, can be used to help to structure your foreground question, so that relevant evidence can be searched to address the question.
Question frameworks are tools that help to put together a foreground question. These tools identify the key elements of a foreground question, which can be used to formulate a search strategy to find relevant resources/studies that will help answer the foreground question.
There are various types of question frameworks that can be applied to the different types of foreground questions.
Click on the plus (+) icons below to explore the definition, purpose, and examples for each question framework type.