
How to formulate a Pico question?
original PICO question. STEP 1: FORMULATE THE PICO QUESTION Case Scenario: You are a Registered Nurse working on a Urology unit. One of your patients is a 55-year-old man who is recovering from abdominal surgery – specifically a laparoscopic prostatectomy. The patient complains of abdominal pain and nausea.
How to create a Pico question?
PICO Question Template Examples. It can be helpful to classify your question based on the clinical domain (s) it falls under. See below for definitions, PICO templates, and example questions from the primary clinical domains: intervention, diagnosis, etiology, prevention, prognosis/prediction, quality of life/meaning, and therapy.
How to phrase a Pico question?
When you formulate a PICO question, you are creating a formula that does several things:
- Focus the question by identifying the components or concepts in the question
- Defines the concepts that will be used when performing a complex literature search
- Used to ascertain which articles in a search retrieval best address the question
- Helps determine if studies found address the components of the original question
How to write a Pico research question?
- Clinicians should frame practice-based research questions in the PICOT format
- Look to existing literature for guidance in the formulation of a research question
- Clinicians have an important role in contributing to the integrated knowledge translation of research studies

What is a PICO question example?
PICO Examples Describe as accurately as possible the patient or group of patients of interest. What is the main intervention or therapy you wish to consider? Including an exposure to disease, a diagnostic test, a prognostic factor, a treatment, a patient perception, a risk factor, etc.
What is PICO research question?
PICO. The PICO format is commonly used in evidence-based clinical practice. This format creates a "well-built" question that identifies four concepts: (1) the Patient problem or Population, (2) the Intervention, (3) the Comparison (if there is one), and (4) the Outcome(s).
How do you write a PICO question?
PICO Question Formats:PREVENTION. For ___________ does the use of _________________ reduce the future risk of ____________ compared with ______________?DIAGNOSIS OR DIAGNOSTIC TEST. Are (Is) ________________ more accurate in diagnosing _______________ compared with ____________?PROGNOSIS. ... ETIOLOGY. ... MEANING.
What is the purpose of a PICO T question?
The purpose of a PICOT question is simple: It is the mechanism to identify the terms to be used to search for the best evidence to answer a burning clinical question. In other words, the PICOT question is the search strategy. The search strategy leads to an unbiased and effective search.
What are the six types of PICO questions?
New York: Elsevier, Churchill Livingstone, 2005.) Questions arise from 6 aspects of clinical work: Clinical evidence, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, prevention and education. (Richardson, WS.
Why is PICO used in research?
Empirical studies have shown that the use of PICO frames improves the specificity and conceptual clarity of clinical problems,11 elicits more information during pre-search reference interviews, leads to more complex search strategies, and yields more precise search results.
What is PICO format in nursing?
PICO is a format for developing a good clinical research question prior to starting one's research. It is a mnemonic used to describe the four elements of a sound clinical foreground question.
What does PICO stand for in nursing?
Before you start your search, it is important to have a well-built question. One way to construct a well-built question is to use the PICO model. PICO stands for patient/population, intervention, comparison and outcomes.
What is the difference between a research question and a PICO question?
PICOT is different from a standard research question because it is a clinical question. It is composed of various elements that create a framework for research that typical research questions do not usually have. The goal or purpose of PICOT is to ultimately intervene in someone's healthcare.
Using PICO to Formulate Clinical Questions
PICO (alternately known as PICOT) is a mnemonic used to describe the four elements of a good clinical question. It stands for:
PICO and Qualitative Questions
A qualitative PICO question focuses on in-depth perspectives and experiences. It does not try to solve a problem by analyzing numbers, but rather to enrich understanding through words.
Developing Your Question
Developing your research question is one of the most important steps in the review process. At this stage in the process, you and your team have identified a knowledge gap in your field and are aiming to answer a specific question, such as
PICOT Questions
Formulating a research question takes time and your team may go through different versions until settling on the right research question. A research question framework can help structure your systematic review question.
What are Background Questions?
Background questions are informational questions that improve the understanding of a topic. The questions usually have one or two concepts and do not require the process used in formulating a research or evidence based decision-making questiions.
What are Foreground Questions?
Foreground questions are more complex than background questions, and usually contain several concepts. When asking a foreground question, the person asking the question is usually seeking a scientific basis as an answer or evidence based information for clinical decision making.
What are PICO Questions?
PICO questions are a type of foreground question, but far more complex. PICO questions usually have 4 components or concepts and are used for clinical decision making. These questions compare the interventions, or actions, of health care professionals when caring for patients for the purpose of deciding which intervention is most beneficial.
PICOT
Use the PICOT format to break down your question into smaller parts and identify keywords:
PICO Question Template Examples
It can be helpful to classify your question based on the clinical domain (s) it falls under.
