🧠 Know Your Question Type Before You Search
Understanding the type of clinical question you're asking is essential because it determines which resources will best help you find an answer.
📚 Two Main Types of Clinical Questions
🔹 Background Questions: Broad questions about general clinical knowledge.
These are best answered using reference resources like textbooks or tools such as UpToDate.
Examples:
- What are the common symptoms of the flu?
- How does diabetes affect the kidneys?
- When do complications of appendicitis usually occur?
🔹 Foreground Questions: Specific, focused questions related to clinical decisions or actions.
These are often structured using the PICO format and should be answered using primary literature.
Examples:
- In children with asthma, does using a spacer with their inhaled corticosteroid compared to using it without a spacer result in better symptom control?
- For infants with colic, is a probiotic supplement more effective than a placebo in reducing crying episodes?
- In hospitalized children, does the Wong-Baker Pain FACES Rating Scale evaluate the child's level of pain more effectively than the Child Medical Fear Scale?
🧭 Choosing the Right Resource
| Question Type |
Best Resource |
| Background |
Textbooks, UpToDate, Clinical Guidelines |
| Foreground |
Research Databases (e.g., PubMed), Journal Articles |
