Module 1-2 – Crafting Pragmatic Trial Questions (8-min video).

• Summary: Crafting the right research question is crucial for designing impactful pragmatic trials. This module guides you through formulating clear, relevant, and feasible research questions using the PICOT framework with a pragmatic lens. Learn to balance the interests of patients, clinicians, and policymakers, ensuring your study remains applicable in routine care settings. We'll explore tips to refine your questions, avoid common pitfalls, and use a real-world case study to illustrate these concepts. 

** The content, slides, and narrator's voice were generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence, with human guidance and oversight throughout the process.

Haynes R: Forming research questions. Clinical Epidemiology: How to do Clinical Practice Research. Edited by: Haynes R, Sacket D, Guyatt G, Tugwell P. 2006, Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 3-14. 3. (Link)

• This article explains the importance and complexity of creating clear, effective research questions in clinical research. The author emphasizes that good research begins with a strong, precise question that guides the entire study. Developing such a question involves understanding the existing knowledge about a health issue, identifying gaps, and ensuring the study is feasible and meaningful. Using examples from stroke prevention surgery, the author shows how real-world issues like scientific uncertainty, practical constraints, and costs shape research questions. The article introduces the widely used "PICOT" format—defining Patients, Intervention, Comparison group, Outcomes, and Time frame—as an effective method for framing questions. Additionally, it discusses challenges researchers might encounter, including issues with measurement and recruitment, and stresses the importance of adaptability during a study. Ultimately, well-designed questions help ensure that clinical studies produce reliable, useful results to improve patient care.