Table 1            The basics of a well-built clinical question

 

 

Patient or problem

Intervention (treatment, test, prognostic factor, cause, etc.)

Comparison (if any)

Outcome(s)


 

 

 

 

Tips for building a question

Starting with your patient, ask “How would I describe a group of patients similar to mine?”

Be precise, yet brief.

Ask, “Which main intervention am I considering?”

Be specific.

Ask, “What is the main alternative to compare with the intervention?”

Again, be specific.

Ask, “What can I hope to accomplish?” or

“What could this exposure really affect?”

Be specific.

Adapted from Sackett and others,6 with permission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Table 2            Examples of questions for different types of problems

 

Type of question

Patient or problem

Intervention (treatment, test, prognostic factor, cause, etc.)

Comparison (if any)

Outcome(s)


 

Therapy

“For children with posterior crossbite in the primary dentition…

…will occlusal grinding to remove premature contacts,…

…when compared to no intervention,…

…prevent posterior crossbite in the permanent dentition?”

 


Diagnostic

“In patients with undiagnosed oral lesions…

…can a toluidine blue mouth rinse,…

…when compared to an oral biopsy,…

…effectively detect oral cancer and precancer?”

 


Prognosis

“For patients with osseointegrated implants…

…who smoke,…

…compared to patients who do not smoke,…

…what is the proportion of implants lost at 10 years?”

 


Causation

“For my pregnant dental assistant…

…exposed regularly to the use of nitrous oxide for patient sedation…

 

…what is the risk of harm to her unborn baby?”

Adapted from Sackett and others,6 with permission.