Physician Assistant Subject Guide

This video from Steely Library at Northern Kentucky University defines and provides examples of evidence-based practice. (CC-BY-NC 4.0)

Formulating a strong clinical question is the first step in the research process.  PICO is a way of building clinical research questions that allow you to focus your research, and to create a query that better matches most medical databases.

• Patient – Describe your patient or population.  What are the most important characteristics?  Include information on age, race, gender, medical conditions, etc.
• Intervention – What is the main intervention or therapy you are considering? The can be as general as treat or observe, or as specific as a specific test or therapy.
• Comparison Intervention – An alternative intervention or therapy you wish to compare to the first.
• Outcome – What are you trying to do for the patient?  What is the clinical outcome?  What are the relevant outcomes?

Example: In a (describe patient) can (intervention A) affect (outcome) compared with (intervention B)?

• In a 50 year old man with diabetes is weight loss and exercise or medication better at maintaining healthy blood sugar levels?
  • Patient - 50 yr old man with diabetes
  • Intervention - weight loss and exercise
  • Comparison - medication
  • Outcome - maintaining blood sugar levels