Evidence-based practice uses the PICO model for formulating a searchable question.
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?
Formulating a Clinical Question - an interactive tutorial from Boston University
Forming Focused Questions - PICO guide from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM)
PICO Worksheet & Search Strategy- downloadable Word document provided by the University of Southern California
How to Form an Answerable Clinical Question - Cincinnati Children's walks you through an overview of the PICO method
Seven Steps to the Perfect Pico - a step-by-step guide to formulating an optimal PICO search
