Refining and creating a well-built EBP question is often the most difficult task in the PET process. Determining what information to search for is imperative when stating the practice question (Dearholt, 24).
When forming a question out of the practice problem, consider how the pieces of unknown information relate to one another. Background Questions concern general knowledge like understanding the broad characteristics of a disease or treatment. Foreground Questions often emerge from background Questions. Foreground questions take specific knowledge from a background question area and ask for specific information to help make decisions (Straus, 15).
Asks | Components | Examples | |
Background Questions | asks for general knowledge about a condition, test, or treatment. |
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Foreground Questions | Asks for specific knowledge to inform clinical decisions actions. |
* Note that not all PICO parts will be active or applicable when asking the question. |
"In American adolescents, does clinical prescription of opioids prior to high school graduation pre-dispose those individuals to opioid misuse/abuse in adulthood?" |
*Dearholt & Dang, 2012
Qualitative | Quantitative |
How and why interventions work or don’t work. | Effectiveness of interventions |
Multiple Perspectives | One True Answer |
Doesn’t try to disrupt the environment | Tries to introduce new changes to the environment. |
May include quotes |
Personal context isn’t emphasized |
* Information found at National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools.
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*PICO template examples found at http://hsl.mcmaster.libguides.com/ebm