Module Components

• Learning Activities

Topics

• National Initiatives and Major Health Problems
• Clinical Problems
• Developing Focused Questions
• Problem Generation
• Module 6:
  Self-Review

NRSG 790 - Methods for Research and Evidence-Based Practice

Module 6: Problem Generation

Developing Focused Questions

Clinical problems are frequently encountered by the health care team. The first step in EBP is to recognize the problem, and develop a focused question to guide the evidence review, appraisal, synthesis and translation of a proposed solution to the problem.

A framework provides structure to question development in the first step of the EBP process. In your assigned reading, Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt (2019) provide a quantitative framework: Patient Population/ Problem, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome. For specific questions, they also suggest T= Time to complete the PICOT(T). Examples of well developed questions are provided.

PICOT

The PICOT framework is popular in medicine and nursing. The framework includes:

• Patient population or problem
• Intervention
• Comparison Intervention
• Outcome
• Time (if appropriate)

Additional Web Resources

You will find extensive EBP web resources available. Below are some of the sites that you may find helpful.

• The Duke University Medical Center Library provides a self-paced tutorial on evidence based medicine and building questions.
• The University of Minnesota web site provides resources on question construction

Note for next topic:

• Problem Generation will open as a PPT