PICO examples: Originally developed by the Oregon Health Sciences University:
Element of the clinical question |
Patient Describe as accurately as possible the patient or group of patients of interest |
Intervention (or cause, prognosis) What is the main intervention or therapy you wish to consider? |
Comparison (optional) Is there an alternative treatment to compare? |
Outcome What is the clincial outcome, including a time horizon if relevant? |
Example | In patients with acute bronchitis, |
do antibiotics | none | reduce sputum production, cough or days off.? |
Example | In children with cancer | what are the current treatments | none | in the management of fever and infection? |
Example | Among family-members of patients undergoing diagnostic procedures |
does standard care, | listening to tranquil music, or audiotaped comedy routines |
make a difference in the reduction of reported anxiety. |
Example | In patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, |
is bariatric surgery more effective | than standard medical therapy |
at increasing the probability of remission of diabetes? |
Sackett, D., Richardson, W.S., Rosenberg, W., Haynes, R.B. (1997). Evidence-based medicine: How to practice and teach EBM. Churchill Livingstone.