P = Population
I = Intervention
C = Comparison
O = Outcome
P = Population
I = Phenomenon of Interest
Co = Context
When creating the PICO question, it is important to focus on topics relevant to nursing practice.
Below are examples of nursing related questions:
Intervention/Effect/Therapy PICO Question:
An example:
In adult patients with total hip replacements (Patient population) how effective is early ambulation (Intervention of interest) compared to bed rest (Comparison intervention) on decreasing post-op DVTs (Outcome)?
Note: The question may also appear as:
What is the effectiveness of early ambulation, compared to bed rest, on decreasing post-op DVTs in adult patients with total hip replacements.
Meaning PICO Question:
How do pregnant women (P) newly diagnosed with diabetes (I) experience reporting their blood sugar levels (O) to their healthcare providers?