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NURS 200W: Principles of Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice

Khalid Almasloukh (Penn State Scranton)

PICO Research Question

The PICO method, sometimes called the PICOT method*, is a format for posing a clinical research question.  Each letter in PICO stands for an important aspect of the question.

P - Population

What is the problem and who does this affect?  What are the characteristics of the affected population?

I - Intervention

What treatment, therapy, or other intervention is being considered to treat the problem?

C - Comparison

What treatment, therapy, or other intervention (or lack of intervention) will be compared to the main intervention?

O - Outcome

What is the outcome achieved when the main intervention is applied as compared to the alternative?

* In the PICOT version of this method, the T stands for time.  This aspect is optional and may be included in your research if it is significant to your clinical research question.

Evidence-Based Nursing Research Pyramid

diagram of the evidence based nursing research pyramid that depicts the hierarchy of types of evidence with the lowest quality at the bottom and highest at the apex