The Research Question in Clinical Practice: A Guideline for Its Formulation

Abstract

The systematic formulation of the research question allows the researcher to focus the study, guide the method decisions, and to put forward possible solutions. In practice, there are difficulties in the formulation of research problems. Diversity of clinical scenarios can lead to a mismatch between the structure of the research question and the classical PICO (population, intervention, control, and outcomes) format. The aim of this article is to provide guidelines that help in the proper formulation of clinical practice research questions for general practitioners, specialists, and healthcare personnel in training.

Keywords: Clinical medicine; Clínica médica; Investigación; Methods; Métodos; Research.