STEP ONE
ASK is your clinical question a background or foreground question ?
Background questions are general knowledge questions and tend to ask who, what, where, when and why. For instance, what causes dental caries? Typically background questions can be answered with textbooks or clinical guidelines.
Foreground questions are the core of the EBD process. They require specific knowledge to decide and inform on a clinical decision as it applies to a particular patient or population.
If you are not certain if your question is a background or foreground question consider, “Did I know the answer to this question at the end of the first year of dental school?” If the answer is yes, it is most likely a background question.
Reference:
Evidence-Based Medicine How to Practice and Teach EBM Sackett et al (2000)
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