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Introduction to evidence-based practice for the health sciences

Ask: defining your question

Ask: defining your question

The first step in the EBP process is to identify a clinical query and then develop it into a clear and answerable clinical question.  Creating a well-built question will help you when searching for evidence and support you when deciding whether the information you find is relevant to your patient care or clinical problem. Vague statements that don't include an obvious clinical question can result in unfocused and frustrating searches. 

You will encounter two main types of questions. Understanding what type of question you are asking will help you to select the best resource to search for your answer.

Background questions 

These broad questions can provide general information about a condition, intervention, test, or process. They can usually be answered using textbooks, general clinical resources, or by asking the patient. Addressing background questions can help you to understand the main clinical issue better. 

For example:

  • What are the most common clinical signs of myocardial infarction in male patients?
  • What causes migraines?

Foreground questions

These questions are generally more complex and focus on patient care, diagnostic options, or potential treatment outcomes regarding a particular patient, presenting condition, or situation. You will need to undertake a more in-depth search of the published literature using scholarly databases to find the most current and highest-quality research to answer your question. 

For example:

  • How does a structured yoga-based exercise program compare to standard physiotherapy care in adults with chronic lower back pain and reduced functional mobility?
  • In post-operative patients at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), does the use of compression stockings reduce the incidence of DVT when compared with no use of compression stockings? 

You may need to gather some background information to help you develop a clear and focused search question. Taking some time at the start of the search process to do this can mean you build a more effective and efficient search of the evidence base.