The key to finding appropriate evidence is to ask a searchable, answerable question. The PICO framework is often used as a guide for asking clinical questions.
| P = patient, problem, population |
| I = intervention |
| C = comparison intervention, control |
| O = outcome(s) |
Have you noticed resources that refer to PICOT instead of PICO? Some EBP experts add T to the standard PICO framework. The T usually stands for time and can be helpful in making sure you're thinking of the appropriate time frame for your intervention and/or outcomes.
Video created by Show Me The Evidence.
You are working with a child who has autism and is struggling to navigate social interactions at school. You have heard of an intervention called Social Stories, and you wonder if this might be helpful.
P = children with Autism
I = Social Stories
C = no Social Stories
O = ability to navigate social interactions
"In children with Autism, does using Social Stores impact their ability to navigate social interactions?"
Your patient is an older person who is experiencing insomnia and you wonder how effective sleep restriction therapy might be in improving her sleep patterns.
P = insomnia
I = sleep restriction therapy
C = no therapy
O = improved sleep patterns
"In older people with insomnia, how effective is sleep restriction therapy at improving sleep patterns?"