The PICO offers you a model to frame your clinical inquiry into a question that facilitates performing a literature search and defining your outcomes.
PICO TEMPLATES
• THERAPY: In ___________(P), what is the effect of __________(I) on ____________(O) compared with ______________(C)?
o EXAMPLE: In patients admitted to the neuro ICU, what is the effect of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing on CLABSI rates compared with soap-and-water baths?
P – Patients admitted to the neuro ICU
I – CHG bathing
C – Soap-and-water baths
O – CLABSI rates
• ETIOLOGY: Are ____________(P), who have ______________(I) at an (increased/decreased) risk for/of ______________(O) compared with ______________(P) with/without _______________(C)?
o EXAMPLE: In men, does having a vasectomy increase the risk of getting testicular cancer in the future, compared with men without a vasectomy?
P – Men
I – Vasectomy
C – No vasectomy
O – Testicular cancer
• DIAGNOSIS/ DIAGNOSTIC TEST: Are (is) ______________(I) more accurate in diagnosing _____________(P) compared with ____________(C) for _______________(O)?
o EXAMPLE: Are bronchoscopies more accurate in diagnosing lung transplant patients compared with laboratory tests for organ rejection?
P – Lung transplant patients
I – Bronchoscopies
C – Laboratory Tests
O – Organ rejection
• PREVENTION: For _______________(P) does the use of ___________(I) reduce the future risk of ___________(O) compared with ___________(C)?
o EXAMPLE: For critical care nurses, does the use of essential oils reduce the future risk of compassion fatigue compared with not using essential oils?
P – Critical care nurses
I – Essential oils
C – Not using essential oils
O – Compassion fatigue
• PROGNOSIS: Does _______________(I) influence ____________(O) in patients who have _______________(P)?
o EXAMPLE: Do dysphagia screens influence aspiration pneumonia rates in patients who have had an ischemic stroke?
P – Ischemic stroke patients
I – Dysphagia screens
O – Aspiration pneumonia rates
