Most clinical encounters lead to a need for information. The first step in EBM is to translate the need for information into a question that can be answered by clinical research.
There are "foreground" questions and "background" questions.
Background questions:
- look for general knowledge
- contain a who, what, where, when, or why
- contain a verb
- look at an aspect of health care, such as treatment, disorder, or test
Foreground questions:
- look for specific information to make treatment decisions
- sometimes called "PICO" questions
Questions might investigate: prevention, cost-effectiveness, quality of life, clinical findings, prognosis, aetiology, or therapy, among others. The question asked determines the types of evidence searched.
