Question types
Foreground questions versus background questions
Foreground questions versus background questions
Determining whether you are asking a background or a foreground question will help you decide which resources to use and how to search.
Background questions are general questions about a condition, a treatment or a test. These questions are best answered with already published research - such as textbooks or review papers.
For example: What are risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
Foreground questions are focussed and complex questions that might be used to inform a clinical decision, or service redesign.
For example: Is diabetes education as effective for glycaemic control in adolescent patients when delivered by telehealth as it is in person?
PICO is a useful tool for constructing a clinical foreground intervention question.