Submit a clinical query

Don’t have time to write a Knowledge Summary but want to help add to the evidence-base? Then submit a clinical query.

This form allows you to submit a clinical query to Veterinary Evidence, where it will be checked and added to our online list of clinical queries for other members of the veterinary community to answer as a Knowledge Summary.

If you would like to answer it yourself as a Knowledge Summary then you do not need to fill in this form, instead please email the Managing Editor stating your question: bridget@rcvsknowledge.org

You may have encountered a scenario in practice where you are unsure of the evidence. An example might be where a client says they have heard that neutering bitches reduces the risk of mammary tumours and asks you if there is any evidence to back up this claim.

In order to find the evidence surrounding this claim and make it easier for your clinical query to be answered, we need to first turn it into an answerable question.

To do so we use the PICO method:

P – Patient or Population

I – Intervention(s)

C – Comparison

O – Outcome

Using the above scenario an example PICO framework would be:

Patient or Population	adult bitches
Intervention	neutering
Comparison	non-neutering
Outcome	mammary tumours

This can now be written out as the below answerable question:

In adult bitches does neutering versus non-neutering reduce the risk of mammary tumours?

PICO questions need to be specific and focused. A well-formed question will help ensure all of the relevant articles are found and will reduce the chance of leaving anything important out. It will also make it relatively straightforward to identify appropriate search terms and to combine them in the search strategy.

Here is another example:

Patient or Population	cats
Intervention	chlorhexidine and alcohol
Comparison	Alcohol alone
Outcome	Greater antimicrobial action

In cats undergoing catheter placement does the use of chlorhexidine and alcohol have greater antimicrobial action than alcohol alone?

Reference: EBVM Toolkit1: Asking an answerable clinical question

Please now submit your clinical query

Once submitted your clinical query will be checked and added to our online list of questions for members of the veterinary community to answer as a Knowledge Summary.

Interested in authoring a Knowledge Summary? Click here for more information.

* indicates a required field.

Your contact details

First name *

Surname *

Email address *

Your clinical query

Please fill out the below template.

Patient or Population *

e.g. Adult bitches

Intervention *

e.g. Neutering

Comparison *

e.g. Non-neutering

Outcome *

e.g. Reduce the risk of mammary tumours

Question

If you can, turn your query into an answerable question

e.g: In adult bitches does neutering versus non-neutering reduce the risk of mammary tumours?

Verification

Click the box

Please click the box to indicate you are a human rather than an automated system completing this form.

If you would like more guidance or would like to discuss your clinical query before submitting you can contact us here.