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PICO: The Secret Ingredient to Clinical Research: What is PICO?

An Effective and Efficient Tool in Organizing Your Research

What is PICO?

PICO is a tool used to focus your research. Focusing your research is important whether you are a clinician serving a specific patient need or conducting a research study. Framing your research into four main components is key to conducting a strong, efficient, and effective search.

Now, let's expand on what PICO stands for:

P
Patient, Population, Problem
Relevant description of patient such as age & gender
Relevant description of population such as geographic location
Relevant description of problem or health concern/medical issue
I
Intervention (treatment for patient, population, problem)
OR
Exposure (studying harmful risks)
Intervention: Treatment, diagnosis methods, therapy, etc.
OR
Exposure: Harmful environmental description (such as next to nuclear power plant)
C
Comparison
Alternative intervention methods
OR
Comparison group (placebo or non-harmful environment)
O
Outcome
Desired results/knowledge gained

 

How is PICO helpful?

Have you ever struggled with getting started on your research project, focusing your topic, finding relevant search terms, or retrieving just the right amount of search results? PICO helps with that!

Through forming a PICO question, you will have an easier time:

  1. Focusing your topic - The four primary components of PICO pushes you to think beyond the patient or problem. This is especially helpful when you are conducting a research study and must develop a topic yourself. In a clinical setting, many times, you have a patient with a distinct health concern, potential intervention and/or comparison, and a desired outcome. PICO is formed with very little ease. However, when you are developing a research study of your own, you must consider all of the primary components that make up the "big picture." PICO can help frame your scenario-building process!
  2. Finding relevant search terms - Finding search terms can be a process all on its own. PICO's breakdown allows you to pull out your primary research concepts into a few simple terms. This puts you on the right path! Next, you will want to find alternative terms. Check out the tab "Additional LibGuides to Know" to learn ways of finding term alternatives.
  3. Retrieving the right amount of search results - Ever conduct a search and feel overwhelmed by a huge number of results? What about when you retrieve zero? Both happen. Both scenarios are frustrating. You are not alone. PICO will help you narrow your results to avoid those pages and pages of resources while, most times, remaining broad enough to still find a good handful or two of sources filled with relevant information. This is also where having those alternative search terms is of great importance! Knowing various ways to say the same thing will help you find more resources focused on your topic.