Once you have formulated your question, you need to figure out what type of question you are trying to answer.
Is it:
Therapy: Effect of an intervention (on a patient, department, staff, etc...)
Harm: Effects of potentially harmful agents (including therapies) on patient outcomes
Diagnosis: Differentiates between those with and without a condition or disease
Prognosis: Estimating patients likely course over time
Clinical Examination: Gather interpret findings from history and exam
Cost Analysis: Compare costs of treatments and tests
All 3 of the examples below are Therapy questions.
Example: In a child under 2 years of age with otitis media, is watchful waiting versus amoxicillin x 10 days as effective in reducing symptoms.
Example: In a patient with Bell's Palsy, is valacyclovir versus prednisolone more effective in improving facial paralysis?
Example: For all persons entering the critical care unit, is the addition of hand rubbing with a waterless, alcohol based solution more effective than just hand washing with soap and water in reducing nosocomial infections?
| 500 W. University Avenue : El Paso, TX, 79968-0582 : (915) 747-5672 |