Physician Assistant Systematic Review

As practitioners of EBM, you will often use the PICO framework to help you formulate a question to facilitate a literature search. This framework helps you articulate the most important aspects of a clinical question that will help you find relevant information that will be most applicable to the patient. 

Patients, Population, or Problem

• Who are the patients?
• What is their demographic information? 
• What is their health concern?

Intervention

• What are the possible interventions? 
• What factors could influence the prognosis?
• What are other potential risk factors?

Comparison - Note that not all questions will have a comparison

• Is there any comparison that you can make?
• What is the main alternative method?

Outcome

• What do you hope to accomplish, measure, achieve or avoid?

Information Taken from Evidence-Based Practice Guide at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Information Taken from Evidence-Based Practice Guide at the Medical University of South Carolina.

PICO Keyword Worksheet

EXAMPLE Topic: For Obese children does the use of community recreation activities compare to educational programs on lifestyle changes reduce the risk of diabetes mellitus?

Your Topic:

This video from the CEBM demonstrates how to use PICO to formulate a clinical question.