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Evidence Based Nursing - Developing a Question

P I C O

Element of the Question

P

Patient

I

Intervention

C

Comparison (Optional)

O

Outcome
problem or population prognostic factor, or exposure  alternative or standard (control) procedure desired, measurable, clinical outcome
  Describe as accurately as possible the patient or group of patients of interest What is the main intervention or therapy you wish to consider? Including an exposure to disease, a diagnostic test, a prognostic factor, a treatment, a patient perception, a risk factor, etc. Is there an alternative treatment to compare? Including no disease, placebo, a different prognotic factor, absence of risk factor, etc. What is the clinical outcome, including a time horizon if relevant?
example In patients with acute bronchitis, do antibiotics... [none] reduce sputum production, cough or days off?
example Among family-members of patients undergoing diagnostic procedures does standard care, or listening to tranquil music, or audiotaped comedy routines... make a difference in the reduction of reported anxiety.

Search Terms

 

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Evidence-Based Information Cycle

ebm cycle

References

Evidence-Based Information Cycle image Copyright 2007, Dr. Edward Hayward, Centre for Health Evidence, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Nursing Library and Information Resources. "Evidence-Based Practice "Yale University
http://www.med.yale.edu/library/nursing/education/clinquest.html [accessed Feb. 7, 2007]

Sacket DL, Straus SE, Richardson WS, et al. Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone, 2000.

Richardson WS, Wilson MC, Nishikawa J, Hayward RSA. The well-built clinical question: a key to evidence-based decisions. ACP Journal Club. Nov-Dec 1995;123;A12.