PICO is a mnemonic used to describe the four elements of a good clinical foreground question:
P = Population/Problem - How would I describe the problem or a group of patients similar to mine?
I = Intervention - What main intervention, prognostic factor or exposure am I considering?
C = Comparison - Is there an alternative to compare with the intervention?
O = Outcome - What do I hope to accomplish, measure, improve or affect?
Fill in the blanks with information from your clinical scenario:
THERAPY
In_______________, what is the effect of ________________on _______________ compared with _________________?
ETIOLOGY
Are ______________ who have _______________ at ______________ risk for/of ____________ compared with _____________ with/without ______________?
DIAGNOSIS OR DIAGNOSTIC TEST
Are (Is) ________________ more accurate in diagnosing _______________ compared with ____________?
PREVENTION
For ___________ does the use of _________________ reduce the future risk of ____________ compared with ______________?
PROGNOSIS
Does ____________ influence ______________ in patients who have _____________?
MEANING
How do _______________ diagnosed with _______________ perceive __________________?
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Constructing a good clinical question in order to use it to seach the literature effectively is challenging, and a fundamental skill that needs to be learnt alongside all other clinical skills.
A useful way to analyse or dissect the topic into its core components is to use parts of PICO, namely the patient (or population), the exposure (or intervention) and the outcome (which may be explicit, or implicit). However, as you have been shown, it is not always necessary to include all four facets (components) in your PICO search statement, especially if you can find suitable MeSH terms to use in your search. By using the prognosis filter in your Clinical Query search on binge drinking, for example, you will automatically include the prognosis for long-term mortalilty, as well as other outcomes, so you do not need to add all other possible outcomes to your search strategy initially. Sometimes your search will yield too few results if your search strategy is too specific.
Here are links for more information.
