| 1. Patient or problem | 2. Intervention (a cause, prognostic factor, treatment, etc.) | 3. Comparison intervention (if necessary) | 4. Outcome(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tips for building | Starting with your patient, ask “how would I describe a group of patients similar to mine?” | Ask “which intervention am I considering?” Be specific. | Ask “what is the main alternative to compare with the intervention?” Be specific. | Ask “what can I hope to accomplish?” or “what could this exposure really affect?” Be specific. |
| Example | “In patients with heart failure from dilated cardiomyopathy who are in sinus rhythm…” | “…would adding anticoagulation with warfarin to standard heart failure therapy…” | “…when compared with standard therapy alone…” | “…lead to lower mortality or morbidity from thromboembolism. Is this enough to be worth the increased risk of bleeding?” |
Reference: Evidence-based Medicine – Sackett, Richardson, Rosenberg and Haynes.