Exploring the Evidence: Generating a Research Question: Using the PICOT Framework for Clinical Inquiry.

The PICOT (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Out - come, Timeframe) framework succinctly gives structure to developing and solving a research or clinical question. It acts as a framework to assist a researcher or clinician to drill down to the essence of their question. This guides the researcher or clinician to formulate exact questions, identify relevant research or evidence, and tailor interventions to address the problem or challenging situation they are looking to solve or resolve.

Exploring the Evidence: Using Technology to Improve Integrated Care Coordination.

A transition of care is defined as a change in level of health care services, as patient care needs change from one location to another during acute or chronic illness. The location of services can vary from the hospital, skilled nursing facility, an outpatient setting, a primary care provider's office, or home health. Care coordination gaps can occur due to a lack of information exchange through the electronic health record, a lack of evidence-based standards, and poor communication among providers.