The first step in performing a systematic review is to formulate the research question. Without a well-focused question, it can be very difficult and time consuming to identify appropriate resources and search for relevant evidence. Practitioners of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) often use a specialized framework, called PICO, to form the question and facilitate the literature search.1 PICO stands for:
PATIENT OR PROBLEM
What adjectives would you use to describe a group of patients who are similar to yours? What are the patient's most crucial characteristics?
INTERVENTION, EXPOSURE, PROGNOSTIC FACTOR
What is the primary intervention you are considering? What are your plans for this patient?
COMPARISON
If there is a main alternative being explored, what is it?
OUTCOME
What are you attempting to achieve, measure, improve, or influence?
TYPE OF QUESTION
Therapy / Diagnosis / Harm / Prognosis / Prevention
TYPE OF STUDY
Systematic review / RCT / cohort study / case control
