Formulating a specific clinical question is the first step of practicing evidence-based medicine.
The five steps of evidence-based medicine:
Why should I formulate a structured research question?
What characterizes a good question?
What does an undeveloped question look like?
What does a well-formulated question look like?
Applying a framework when developing a research question can help to identify the key concepts and determine inclusion and exclusion criteria.
| PICo: | Population /types of Participants, phenomenon of Interest, Context |
|
PICO(S): |
Patient/Problem, Intervention, Comparator/Control, Outcome, (Study design) |
|
PECO: |
Patient/Problem, Exposure, Comparison/Control, Outcome |
|
PESICO: |
Person, Environment, Stakeholders, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome |
|
PIPOH: |
Population, Interventions, Professionals/Patients, Outcome, Healthcare Setting |
| P (Patient, Population, Problem) | I (Intervention) | C (Comparator) | O (Outcome) |
| How would I describe a group of patients similar to mine? | What main interventions, prognostic factors or exposure are you considering? | What is the main alternative to compare with the intervention? | What can you hope to accomplish, measure, improve or effect? |
|
In: Children with life-threatening cancer... |
Does: specialty pediatric palliative care... |
Versus: usual care (no specialty pediatric palliative care)... |
Result in: improved outcomes for children with cancer and their families? |