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  evaluation.  
 
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)?