Adapted from the PICOT Questions Template; Ellen Fineout-Overholt, 2006. This form may be used for educational & research purposes without permission.
Template for Asking PICOT Questions
INTERVENTION
In ____________________(P), how does ____________________ (I) compared to
____________________(C) affect _____________________(O) within ___________(T)?
THERAPY
In __________________(P), what is the effect of __________________(I) compared to
_____________ (C) on ________________(O within _____________(T)?
PROGNOSIS/PREDICTION
In ______________ (P), how does ___________________ (I) compared to _____________(C)
influence __________________ (O) over _______________ (T)?
DIAGNOSIS OR DIAGNOSTIC TEST
In ___________________(P) are/is ____________________(I) compared with
_______________________(C) more accurate in diagnosing _________________(O)?
ETIOLOGY
Are____________________ (P), who have ____________________ (I) compared with those
without ____________________(C) at ____________ risk for/of
____________________(O) over ________________(T)?
MEANING
How do _______________________ (P) with _______________________ (I) perceive
_______________________ (O) during ________________(T)?
Adapted from the PICOT Questions Template; Ellen Fineout-Overholt, 2006. This form may be used for educational & research purposes without permission.
Short Definitions of Different Types of Questions
Intervention/Therapy: Questions addressing the treatment of an illness or disability.
Etiology: Questions addressing the causes or origins of disease (i.e., factors that produce or
predispose toward a certain disease or disorder).
Diagnosis: Questions addressing the act or process of identifying or determining the nature and
cause of a disease or injury through Assessment.
Prognosis/Prediction: Questions addressing the prediction of the course of a disease.
Meaning: Questions addressing how one experiences a phenomenon.
Sample Questions:
Intervention: In African-American female adolescents with hepatitis B (P), how does
acetaminophen (I) compared to ibuprofen (C) affect liver function (O)?
Therapy: In children with spastic cerebral palsy (P), what is the effect of splinting and casting(I)
compared to constraint- induced therapy (C) on two-handed skill development (O)?
Prognosis/Prediction:
1) For patients 65 years and older (P), how does the use of an influenza vaccine (I) compared to
not received the vaccine (C) influence the risk of developing pneumonia (O) during flu season
(T)?
2) In patients who have experienced an acute myocardial infarction (P), how does being a
smoker (I) compared to a non-smoker (C) influence death and infarction rates (O) during the
first 5 years after the myocardial infarction (T)?
Diagnosis: In middle-aged males with suspected myocardial infarction (P), are serial 12-lead
ECGs (I) compared to one initial 12-lead ECG (C) more accurate in diagnosing an acute
myocardial infarction (O)?
Etiology: Are 30- to 50-year-old women (P) who have high blood pressure (I) compared with
those without high blood pressure (C) at increased risk for an acute myocardial infarction (O)
during the first year after hysterectomy (T)?
Meaning: How do young males (P) with a diagnosis of below the waist paralysis (I) perceive
their interactions with their romantic significant others (O) during the first year after their
diagnosis (T)?

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