| Background Questions | Foreground Questions |
|
Background questions ask for general information about an illness, condition, disease, process or test. Encyclopedias, textbooks and monographs can be consulted for answering background questions. |
Foreground questions ask for specific information about a clinical situation. Often, foreground questions compare interventions. Medical literature must be consulted for answering foreground questions. |
Six clinical domains designate the investigative purpose of foreground questions and suggest which study design is best suited to provide answers.
| Domain | Purpose | Suggested Study |
|
Cost-Analysis |
Determines which treatment or test is most cost effective and least harmful for the patient. |
Economic Analysis |
|
Diagnosis |
Determines which test is most accurate in diagnosing a condition. |
Prospective blind comparison to gold standard |
|
Etiology/Harm |
Determines causes or risk factors of a condition. |
RCT ⇒ Cohort ⇒ Case Control ⇒ Case Series |
|
Prevention |
Determines how to reduce chance of condition by identifying and modifying risk factors and how to diagnose early by screening. |
RCT ⇒ Cohort ⇒ Case Control |
|
Prognosis |
Determines the clinical course over time and possible complications of a condition. |
Cohort ⇒ Case Control ⇒ Case Series |
|
Therapy/Intervention |
Determines which intervention results in the best outcome. |
RCT |
| Qualitative/Meaning | Investigates patient experience (perceptions, attitudes, beliefs). | Cross-Sectional |
Notes:
Secondary literature is preferred but not always available
⇒ move to next study type if suggested type is not available
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