Department for Research and Evidence-Based Practice. Created 10/10. Revised
01/12. Anatomy of a Good Clinical Question. Define Your Clinical Question ...
Anatomy of a Good Clinical Question Define Your Clinical Question Using PICO
Population or Problem: •
What are the important characteristics of the patients? Include their primary problem; age, gender, etc. may also be relevant. Ask, "How would I describe a group of patients similar to mine?"
What other intervention (comparison intervention) or no intervention/or placebo (control) do you want to compare to the intervention you are interested in? Ask, "What is the main alternative to compare with the intervention I am considering?"