Nursing practice should be grounded on evidence-based practices that are backed by research rather than sacred cows—this makes research skills critical in both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. One of the strategies of honing research skills in nursing students is learning how to develop a perfect PICOT statement.
The inability to develop a perfect PICOT statement not only limits a student’s chances of succeeding in a course but also hinders the translation of research to practice. As a company committed to scholarly excellence, we have developed a simplified guide to creating a PICOT statement in nursing research. This article by our nursing experts will answer the following questions.
- What is a PICOT statement in nursing?
- Why is PICOT important in nursing?
- What are the examples of PICOT statements in nursing?
- How can I develop a perfect PICOT statement?
In a nutshell, this article not only teaches how to develop a PICOT statement; it molds students into competent researchers.
Table of Contents
What is a PICOT Statement in Nursing?
A PICOT statement is a mnemonic for the major parts of a well-built clinical research question. A PICOT or PICO makes the research process easier by ensuring that clinical questions are directly relevant to the patient or problem at hand. It ensures that the question is phrased in such a way to facilitate the search for an answer. Most importantly, PICOT statements help formulate the search strategy by highlighting the key concepts that need to be in the article that can answer the clinical question.
Letters in the mnemonic represent:
P: Population or the patient – It could be the sexual orientation, age, nationality, or people with a specific condition or turmoil
I: Intervention (Variable of Interest) – It represents the exposure to contamination, risk behavior, or a prognostic factor
C: Comparison of the control – This alludes to a person that has zero hints of the illness being referred to or doesn’t have the danger factor, or Prognostic factor B
O: Outcome – This alludes to the outcomes, which could be the danger of the contamination or condition, the precision level of analysis, or the pace of event of dangerous result
T: Time – This is the general time the members have been noticed or the time frame it has taken to acquire the result
Types of PICOT Statements
There are five Picot question types. They include:
The Issue of Interest or Intervention
These kinds of PICOT statements are organized to help in figuring out what treatment has the best result. These kinds of inquiries can be stated as follows:
In a gathering of men exceptionally defenseless for falls (P), how does hourly adjusting (I) contrasted and adjusting at regular intervals (C) influences the number of new falls (O)?
This is among the ideal PICOT question models for falls.
The Prognosis or the Prediction
These picot statements are utilized in deciding the potential complexities that emerge from a specific condition or the clinical course over a particular time span. An illustration of an intercession PICOT questions is as per the following:
In a group of six where there is a background marked by cardiovascular sickness (P), how the choice of taking an interest in a sustenance program (I) in contrast with a decision of not taking part in the program (C) sway the solid food utilization pattern (O) in eight months (T)?
Analysis or Diagnostic Test
These inquiries are not quite the same as those of the prognosis or the intervention. They are created to help figure out which test is more dependable and precise in determining a specific sickness. For example, in a gathering of grown-ups that are accepted to have type 2 diabetes (P), is the A1C (I) contrasted and the fasting plasma glucose (C) more precise in diagnosing type 2 diabetes (O)?
Etiology
These statements are utilized in deciding the primary sources or danger variables of a specific infection or condition. One illustration of an issue focusing on the etiology perspective is as demonstrated underneath: Are kids (P) with inactive ways of life (I) contrasted and those without such ways of life (C) at a higher danger of suffering from obesity (O) more than eight months (T)?
Which means
These PICOT statements are created to help the scientist or agent in acquiring knowledge into the significance of involvement to possibly one individual, a gathering, or are a more extensive local area. One illustration of such an inquiry is as appeared: how do women (P) who have been tried positive for hypertension (I) see their capacity to work (O) when in a surrounding that triggers them (T)?
What is a PICOT Question Examples?
Assume your teacher or educator asked you to create a PICOT inquiry model crisis the nursing field or another situation. Would you realize how to go about it, or would you instead settle on purchasing expositions online, protected and brisk? Here are some nursing Picot question thoughts that can give you an idea on the best way to state the inquiries:
PICOT Question 1
Does the bariatric teenager patient experiencing gastric detour have a superior possibility of care preoperatively and postoperatively when the attendant is an essential individual from the multidisciplinary group contrasted with if the medical caretaker is someone whose main task is to give perioperative consideration and has no specific training?
Population: The bariatric youths who are taking or anticipating going through gastric detour a medical procedure.
Intervention: The medical attendant is an essential individual from the multidisciplinary group regarding perioperative consideration of the bariatric teenage patient.
Examination: The medical caretaker is an auxiliary individual from the multidisciplinary group and has no specific training and is just associated with the bariatric teenage patient’s perioperative consideration.
Result: When the medical attendant is included as one of the essential individuals in the multidisciplinary group approach, the bariatric teenage patient has better care congruity.
Time: perioperative, including a month and a half post-recuperation.
PICOT Question 2
Inpatients, does turning the patient stand out from weight sheets to lessen the risk of weight ulcers faster in four months?
Population: admitted patients
Intervention: turning the patient
Control: weight sheets
Result: reduce the threat of weight ulcers
Time: 4 months
PICOT Question 3
In ventilated patients, is the head-of-bed stature of 45 degrees diverged from 20 degrees more compelling in diminishing the recurrence of ventilated related pneumonia in eight months?
Population: ventilated patients
Intervention: the head-of-bed tallness of 45 degrees
Control: 20 degrees
Result: a decline in the recurrence of ventilated related pneumonia
Time: 8 months
PICOT Question 4
In hospitalized youngsters, is the Wong-Baker Pain FACES Rating Scale diverged from the Child Medical Fear Scale more exact in evaluating the child’s element of torture in a half year?
Population: Hospitalized youngsters
Intervention: the Wong-Baker Pain FACES Rating Scale
Control: The Child Medical Fear Scale
Result: the child’s component of torture
Time: a half-year
PICOT Question 5
For patients 65 years and more, how does the utilization of a flu immunization contrast with the individuals who have not gotten the antibody to impact the danger of developing pneumonia during the influenza season?
Population: patients who are 65 years and more
Intervention: flu antibody
Control: non-immunized patients who are 65 years and more
Result: developing pneumonia
Time: influenza season
PICOT Question 6
What is the recuperation time frame for patients with total hip substitution who built up post-usable contamination rather than the individuals who didn’t get it in a one and a half month of healing?
Population: patients with complete hip substitution
Intervention: development of a post-usable contamination
Control: patients without complete hip substitution
Result: length of recuperation
Time: first one and half months of recovery
All these PICOT addresses range in various points. One of the issues that undergraduates frequently have an issue in creating PICOT questions is avoiding ulcers. To assist you with making the ideal PICOT inquiries of forestalling ulcers, here is an illustration of a PICOT question forestalling pressure ulcers:
What is the impact of enzymatic debridement of non-reasonable tissue contrasted and sharp debridement on the pace of recuperating of pressing factor ulcers in grown-ups in one year?
Patient: Adults
Intervention: enzymatic debridement of non-feasible tissue
Control: sharp debridement
Result: the pace of recuperating of pressing factor ulcers
Time: One year
Example of a PICOT Question on a Similar Topic:
Would using a proof-based agenda better forestall the movement of pressing factor ulcers in grown-up Med-Surg patients?
Patient: Adult Med-Surg patients
Intervention: Pressure ulcer treatment agenda
Control: Traditional Management
Result: Decrease in the measure of pressing factor ulcer advancement or movement
What is an Example of a PICOT Question?
In case you have been asked to build up a PICOT question in the sustenance field, at that point, here are instances of how you should structure your assertion:
How effective is the utilization of low glycemic file food sources for decreasing energy admission and advancing weight reduction in grown-ups in 13 months?
Patient: Adults
Intervention: utilization of low glycemic list food sources
Control: There is no examination
Result: decrease of the energy admission and advancement of weight reduction
Time: 13 months
How viable is needle therapy in improving older male stroke patients’ versatility in contrast with standard stroke treatment in two years?
Patient: older male stroke patients
Intervention: needle therapy
Control: standard stroke treatment
Result: improvement of portability in old male stroke patients
Time: 2 years
The Most Effective Method to Develop a Picot Statement and Literature Search
Building up the PICOT articulations is equivalent to concocting a PICOT question. As highlighted before, it requires an undergraduate to develop an inquiry containing the patient, intercession, control, result, and time. After one has thought of the PICOT question, one can direct a writing search to answer the inquiry. Presently, the PICOT question nursing field requires a student to utilize just experimental and logical sources that identify with the nursing field.
While looking for this writing, it is fundamental to break down the current sources in the subject that the inquiry lies in. For example, if your PICOT question is under the cardiovascular wellbeing topic, it is essential to look for the current sources on cardiovascular wellbeing. Besides looking at how old the sources are, it is also crucial to assess how dependable the material is. A few sources contain mistaken data, which may diminish the believability of your work. Accordingly, utilize precise sources as it were. The best sources to use with such inquiries can be books, diary articles, wellbeing sites, and nursing articles.
What Is a Pico Question? How Would You Develop One?
A PICO question is equivalent to a PICOT question. In any case, the only distinction is that it doesn’t have the opportunity component. Other than that, it has the patient or populace angle, the intercession, control, and result. As a rule, when understudies are asked to build up a PICO inquiry, they will, in general, disregard a few components that make up a decent Picot question. Thusly, they come up short in the undertaking and wind up considering, ‘what are acceptable PICO questions?’ ‘how would you create them?’
Indeed, pretty direct. Stage one is to distinguish the unclear inquiry you need to reply to. For example, think of the question, ‘Is cardiopulmonary revival powerful?’
The general inquiry helps in giving you an outline of how to structure your PICOT question. In the wake of concocting the general inquiry, presently assess the different parts of a PICO question. They are as per the following:
P – This is the patient or the number of inhabitants in interest. For our situation, we have not determined the particular patient going through a cardiopulmonary revival. Thus, attempt to ask yourself the conceivable populace that you can focus on in this inquiry. For example, you can choose to target youngsters from age 5 to 10, a hospitalized gathering, or people in a particular wellbeing partner, for example, the individuals who are asthmatic or diabetic.
I – This represents the intervention. Our inquiry doesn’t have any medication, so we need to incorporate one. For example, we can choose a ‘hands-in particular’ intercession.
C – This is the control. When you need to remember the control for your PICO question, you need to look for an examination factor. Quest for another methodology that can be contrasted with the hands-just strategy. For our situation, we can decide to utilize the hands in addition to the breathing procedure as our control.
O – This addresses the result. Here, we need to ask ourselves what we mean via cardiopulmonary revival being powerful.
The outcome we can choose to use for our situation is mortality, given that it is not difficult to gauge the death rate.
In the wake of doing these, we currently have a total PICO question. Our PICO question would resemble this:
In people group abiding grown-ups, how powerful is hands-just cardiopulmonary revival contrasted with hands in addition to breathing cardiopulmonary revival in decreasing the death rate?
P – the local area with grown-ups
I – hands-only cardiopulmonary revival
C – hands plus cardiopulmonary breathing revival
O – mortality
What are the Types of PICO Questions?
There are numerous types of PICO inquiries. They include:
- The intervention or therapy addresses utilized in deciding the best intercession that can prompt the best result.
- Etiology addresses that help in distinguishing the main drivers or the danger elements of a condition.
- The finding addresses that help in recognizing the most exact and exact analysis strategies for a particular condition.
- The result addresses that help in deciding the consequences of a particular intercession.
Here are a few instances of PICO questions and a rundown of pediatric PICO questions:
PICO Question 1
In grown-up patients with Systemic lupus erythematosus, is devouring turmeric tea more successful than Plaquenil at decreasing joint agony?
Patients: patients with Systemic lupus erythematosus
Intervention: turmeric tea
Control: Plaquenil (standard medication treatment)
Result: decrease of joint torment
PICO Question 2
Is d‐dimer examination more precise at precluding profound vein apoplexy contrasted with ultrasound?
Population: grown-ups
Intervention: d-dimer examine
Control: ultrasound
Result: more exact analysis of DVT
PICO Question 3
Among little youngsters with an intense asthma intensification, is a solitary portion of intramuscular dexamethasone compared to 5 days of oral prednisolone to treat asthma side effects?
Patient: small kids with an intense asthma intensification
Intervention: a solitary portion of intramuscular dexamethasone
Control: 5 days of oral prednisolone
Result: the goal of asthma manifestations
PICO Question 4
systematic steroids, like prednisone, moderate bone development. Youngsters with ongoing asthma are regularly endorsed breathed in steroids or corticosteroids. Do these medications affect development before immaturity?
Population: preadolescents with asthma
Intervention: breathed in corticosteroids
Control: treatment without corticosteroids
Result: development at an anticipated rate
PICO Question 5
In preadolescents with asthma, will be breathed in corticosteroids smother normal development (when contrasted with treatment without corticosteroids)?
Patient: preadolescents with asthma
Intervention: breathed in corticosteroids
Control: treatment without corticosteroids
Result: concealment of normal development
PICO Question 6
In moderately aged men with suspected myocardial localized necrosis, are sequential 12-lead ECGs contrasted and one starting 12-lead ECG more precise in diagnosing an intense myocardial dead tissue?
Patient: moderately aged men with suspected myocardial dead tissue
Intervention: sequential 12-lead ECGs
Control: one starting 12-lead ECG
Result: conclusion of an intense myocardial dead tissue
How Would You Answer a Pico Question?
However, testing as it very well might be to build up a PICO question, it is considerably more overwhelming to respond to it. Undergraduates fall into the snare of continually giving general or obscure answers. Thusly, in such a case, you will discover those discarding different perspectives vital in their responses. Indeed, for you to address a PICO question precisely, at that point, here is the thing that you ought to do:
Stage 1
Peruse the issue to comprehend. Indeed, even before you begin composing your inquiry solution, ensure you start by separating the issue to distinguish its various parts. Separate the issue and recognize the patient or population of premium, the mediation, control, and result. Now and again, a control might be absent. In such a case, you may wind up offering correlation responses on the off chance that you are not cautious, yet there is no control to contrast with the mediation.
Stage 2
Get together the exploration materials that you need to gain the clinical data from. Now and again, undergraduates encounter challenges while responding to these inquiries just because they don’t have the foggiest idea of what sources they need to use to create or secure observational proof. Thusly, they wind up utilizing mistaken sources that give temperamental data.
Stage 3
Set aside an effort to direct the exploration. Most undergraduates make a common mistake, particularly while responding to the PICO questions, is hurrying through them. This is generally the situation when a student takes care of their assignment minutes to the deadline. A particular surge can cause you to misjudge the matter, eventually causing you to give insignificant, dubious, and general answers. It is consistently fundamental that you make a timetable on when you will explore and compose your task.
Stage 4
Request help if you don’t have the foggiest idea of how to structure your answers. Only a few undergraduates may realize how to break down a question and comprehend what they are required to do.
In any case, the test comes in when they are organizing their answer. They may wind up beginning with feeble or general focuses that will, in general, confound the audience. All things considered, they pass up clarifying the critical contention. PICO questions expect understudies to offer complete and all-around organized responses. Thus, if you don’t have the foggiest idea of approaching this, talk with your teacher or associate.
Stage 5
Refer to in the right arranging style and the correct way. Probably the trickiest part of an understudy’s academic life is referring to. Most people have succumbed to wrong references, literary theft, and blending designs. We as a whole realize that any mistake in referring to can make your work look copied and lower the nature of your work. Along these lines, when you are responding to the inquiries, guarantee you take as much time as necessary and confirm how to refer to different material in order to avoid plagiarism
Basically, it is exceptionally direct to come up with either the PICO or the PICOT questions. This precise guide will give you knowledge of how to create and respond to them.
