Skip to Main Content
It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.
Four Elements of the Clinical Question
PICO: a mnemonic device to help formulate a clinical question and strategy by identifying key concepts
P |
Patient/Population/Problem |
Describe your patient or problem - be specific |
I |
Intervention/Indicator |
Treatment, cause, etc |
C |
Comparison/Control |
Compared to another treatment or standard of care |
O |
Outcome |
Improvement or negative effects |
Patient
What are their important characteristics?
- primary problem
- state of disease/condition
- sex
- age
- socioeconomic status
ALWAYS include in your search
Intervention
What do you want to do for the patient?
- Education
- Therapy
- Order tests/procedure
ALMOST ALWAYS include in your search
Comparison
What is the alternate intervention, if any?
- Different procedure/test
- No education
- No medication
Usually not included in your search
Outcome
What are you hoping to achieve, measure, or change for the patient?
- Alleviate symptoms
- Change test results
- Behavior modification
- Improve function
- Reduce adverse effects/events
SOMETIMES include in your search