In this episode of This Is Why, Dr. Busti breaks down Step 1 of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM): Ask — how to formulate an answerable clinical question that drives better patient outcomes. Learn the difference between background and foreground questions, how to structure them using PICO/PICOTS, and why asking the right question is the foundation of every evidence-based decision.

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Dr. Busti walks through real clinical examples, including asthma, hypertension, and acute MI, to demonstrate how thoughtful question design leads to more efficient searching, stronger evidence, and smarter patient care.

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Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard in this content.

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Table of Contents:

00:00 – Welcome & overview of Evidence-Based Medicine
02:00 – The five A’s of EBM explained
04:20 – Step 1: Ask – Why the question matters
07:15 – Background vs. Foreground questions
11:10 – Using PICO to build structured questions
15:00 – Expanding to PICOTS (Timing & Setting)
18:45 – Clinical examples: Asthma, Hypertension, and STEMI
23:00 – From asking to acquiring – building search-ready questions
26:30 – Key takeaways and next step in EBM

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