see below

Tool 2.2 PICO Elements for a Purpose Statement and Evidence Search

18

INSTRUCTIONS: Use this worksheet to develop a purpose statement or question. Describe each PICO element addressing the topic of interest. Identify the outcome before considering interventions; interventions may evolve after reading the evidence. Write a purpose statement and determine the kind of question. Use Table 2.1 to identify study designs most likely to answer this question. List related concepts, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and keywords or concepts for organizing evidence.

Step 1: Define elements or clinical question using PICO:

P = Patients or population to target:

Problem or condition to address:

Pilot area (e.g., unit/clinic):

I = Intervention (assessment or treatment):

C = Comparison:

O = Outcomes:

T = Time frame (optional):

Step 2: Purpose statement:

Step 3: Determine what your question is about (circle one):

Therapy

Diagnosis

Etiology

Prognosis

Meaning

Step 4: Identify study types that best address your question (circle one or more):

Experimental studies

Observational studies

Qualitative studies

Systematic review or meta-analysis

Case reports

Other

Step 5: List the main terms and synonyms for your purpose statement. Typical number of concepts per question is two to three.

Concept 1:

Concept 2:

Concept 3:

Step 6: List inclusion and exclusion criteria:

Step 7: Keywords or concepts for organizing literature: