PICO Questioning Template

PICO Elements by Question Type

When forming your question using the PICO framework it is useful to think about what type of question you are asking, (therapy, prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, etiology). The table below illustrates ways in which Problems, Interventions, Comparisons and Outcomes vary according to the type (domain) of your question.

Question Type	Patient Problem or Population	Intervention or Exposure	Comparison or Control	Example Outcome Measures
Therapy (Treatment)	Patient's disease or condition.	A therapeutic measure, eg., medication, surgical intervention, or life style change.	Standard care, another intervention, or a placebo.	Mortality rate, number of  days off work, pain, disability.
Prevention	Patient's risk factors and general health condition.	A preventive measure, e.g., A lifestyle change or medication.	Another preventative measure OR maybe not applicable.	Mortality rate, number of days off work, disease incidence.
Diagnosis	Specific disease or condition.	A diagnostic test or procedure.	Current "reference standard" or "gold standard" test for that disease or condition.	Measures of the test utility, i.e. sensitivity, specificity, odds ratio.
Prognosis (Forecast)	Duration and severity of main prognostic factor or clinical problem.	Usually time or "watchful waiting".	Usually not applicable.	Survival rates, mortality rates, rates of disease progression.
Etiology (Causation)	Patient's risk factors, current health disorders, or general health condition.	The intervention or exposure of interest.  Includes an indication of the strength/dose of the risk factor and the duration of the exposure.	Usually not applicable.	Survival rates, mortality rates, rates of disease progression.

Above taken from University of Canberra Library, PICO Guide Links to an external site.

Fill in the blanks with information from your clinical scenario:

THERAPY
In_______________, what is the effect of ________________on _______________ compared with _________________?

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
Does ____________ influence ______________ in patients who have _____________?

ETIOLOGY
Are ______________ who have _______________ at ______________ risk for/of ____________ compared with _____________with/without______________?

MEANING
How do _______________ diagnosed with _______________ perceive __________________?

Activity from Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins as published on the OHSU Library PICO guide Links to an external site..