Week 1 Module 2 Asking a Research Question

What are the sources of questions?

Clinical experience

Clinical theory

Research literature

What are examples of common clinical questions?

Are new treatments more effective than established ones?

What values can we use to adjust the degree of dysfunction we find in our patients?

How can we measure change?

What is the natural progression of physical disability following specific injury or onset of disease?

What models are of end used when it comes to research questions?

PEO and PEOP

What are ways you can get questions from the literature?

Identifying gaps/conflicts in literature- something that hasn’t been studied previously

What are the most IMPORTANT things a research question must be?

Important

Answerable

Feasible

What does it mean when a research question must be ‘important’?

Must be impactful on treatment, theory, or policies related to clinical practice

Generate new information

Add to the scientific/professional body of knowledge

Pass the ‘so what?’ Test

What does it mean when a research question should be ‘answerable’?

Avoid broad, philosophical questions

Avoid questions that begin with why

Involve variables that can be measured

What does it mean when a research question should be ‘feasible’?

Researcher.clinician abilities

Timetable and support

Sampling and subject availability

Consider space, equipment, and money required

What are some more adjectives that should be used to describe your research question?

Relevant

Direct

Clear

Focused

Specific

Interesting

Useful

Applicable

What is a PICO question?

It’s a question format that builds the framework for literature searches and helps with the decision-making processes

What does PICO stand for?

P- population

I- intervention

C- comparison

O- outcome

What are alternatives to the PICO question?

PESICO

SPIDER

What is the population/patient in the P of a PICO question?

The target population- the group of individuals to which the results of the study will apply

The characteristics of the patient or problem

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

What is the intervention in a PICO question?

What interventions are being considered

What treatments are available for the population/condition you had chosen

What assessments are available

Consider personal and environmental context

What is the comparison portion of a PICO question?

What are the comparison or control conditions being considered

Are the comparison appropriate when comparing the two interventions

Is appropriate when comparing accuracy of tests or assessments

Why is it important