Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Thrid Edition: Model and Guidelines

(^74) Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice: Model and Guidelines, Third Edition
Figure 4.1 Background and foreground questions.
Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg, & Haynes, 2000)

Developing an Answerable EBP Question

The thoughtful development of a well-structured EBP question is important be-

cause the question drives the strategies used to search for evidence. Making the

EBP question as specific as possible helps to identify and narrow search terms,

which, in turn, reduces time spent searching for relevant evidence and increases

the likelihood of finding it. Creating a specific question focuses the EBP project

and provides a sensitive evidence review that accurately addresses the problem

and question. It is also useful for defining the target population, such as age, gen-

der, ethnicity, diagnosis, and procedure, so that translation of the recommenda-

tions is planned appropriately. (Chapter 5 describes using keywords for evidence

searches.)

Richardson, Wilson, Nishikawa, & Hayward (1995) published a helpful format

for constructing an answerable EBP question that is referred to as PICO—

Patient, Population or Problem, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome. PICO

frames the problem clearly and facilitates the evidence retrieval by identifying

key search terms.

Foreground

Background

Experience with Condition

ABC