PICO(T) Question Example:
- "In breast cancer patients experiencing fatigue (P), what is the effect of yoga (I) on quality of life (O)?"
Building a Database Search Strategy for the PICO(T) Question:
- A well rounded PICO(T) question forms the basis of a database search strategy for finding research literature.
- Relevant elements of your PICO(T) question can be used to develop a list of keywords (including synonyms) to use in database searching. The most important parts of a PICO(T) question for searching are usually the P, I, and O.
- After developing a list of keywords, you can then begin combining terms with boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), and using other techniques such as a truncation, quotations, and parentheses.
| PICO(T) |
Main PICO(T) Keyword |
Synonyms and Related Search Terms |
|
| P - Patient/Population/Problem |
(cancer)
(fatigue)
|
(cancer, neoplasms,oncology, tumor)
(exhaustion, tiredness, lethargic )
|
|
| I - Intervention/Variable of Interest |
(yoga) |
(exercise, mediation, mindfulness, deep breathing) |
|
| C - Comparison (may be "standard care" or "usual care") |
usual care |
N/A |
|
| O - Outcome(s) |
(quality of life) |
(wellness, well being) |
|
| T - Time |
no timeline presented |
N/A |
|
