How do I make a good PICO question?
Answer
The first step in doing evidence-based research is forming a researchable question. Research often begins with a 'research question' or a 'problem statement', which then can be translated into a PICO question. The PICO format is most appropriate for clinical questions and randomized clinical trials, but any research question which looks at the difference between two or more groups, treatments, or differences in a population before and after some treatment or activity could be expressed as a PICO question.
Questions that are too broad or too narrow or that do not compare groups, treatments, or performance of the study sample may not be amenable to turning into PICO questions. That doesn't mean they cannot be researched, but they would be expressed in another way.
Too broad: What causes diabetes?
This is a background question, rather than a foreground question. Background questions ask questions which can be answered with general knowledge about an illness, disease, condition, process, or thing, which you can typically gain through sources such as textbooks, medical reference works, or tools such as UpToDate. Background questions can be answered, but cannot be the basis of a research study, because there are no variables, research subjects, or topics which could be addressed by testing a population or using a measure or instruments. Rather, the answer would be based on the results of many tests and research studies, many different groups of people, and many expert opinions over time.
Too narrow: At Mercy One North Iowa, does participation in an online support group improve the A1C of Hispanic males ages 35-55 with Type 2 diabetes?
A question that is extremely specific about the location, the sample, or the measure may be so specific that searching library databases for articles with the same exact PICO terms will find zero previously published research articles. This does not mean that the PICO is bad or not worthy of being researched, but it does mean that your literature search strategies need to use broader search terms. Research studies that are about related topics or broader topics may still be useful to you as you plan your study.
Researchable: Are Latino adults with diabetes who participate in a support group more likely to comply with diet and behavioral recommendations?