Searching Health Databases Effectively: PICO Method

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Searching Health Databases Effectively: PICO Method

In the Guide To Finding Health Information, you were provided an extensive list of databases where you can find information for your research assignment. The following tips can ensure that you are able to effectively use these health databases to find information that is relevant to your topic.  

Improving Your Search: PICO Method

PICO is a technique for designing a well developed search in a health science database, and can be utilized effectively for scientific research in many disciplines. PICO helps a researcher identify all of the key terms that should be included in a search. PICO is an acronym that stands for:

P - Patient: what is the patient population that are you interested in? Think of this as the subject of your research.

I - Intervention: what is the exposure or intervention that you are interested in? Think of this as the independent variable in an experiment. 

C - Comparison: what is the comparison to the current intervention? What other factors could be considered as an alternative to the main intervention? For many types of research, this step can be omitted.

O - Outcome: what condition are you hoping to measure, change, or improve? Think of this as the dependent variable in an experiment.

While this process may seem formulaic, it helps identify terms that should be included in your search strategy. By doing this BEFORE you attempt to do a search, you can ensure that you will not waste your time looking at search results that are not relevant to your research.

Want more information on how to create a PICO search for your topic?

1. Watch the slides Links to an external site.                                  2. Consult this guide Links to an external site.                             

3. Download and try completing

a blank PICO worksheet Links to an external site.
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Examples of Evidence-Based PICO Questions:

  1. How do pregnant women (P) newly diagnosed with diabetes (I) perceive reporting their blood sugar levels (O) to their healthcare providers during their pregnancy and six weeks postpartum?

  2. What is the duration of recovery (O) for patients with total hip replacement (P) who developed a post-operative infection (I) as opposed to those who did not (C) within the first six weeks of recovery?

  3. More examples Links to an external site. on p. 3.

Adapted from NURS 310: Nursing Research & Evidence-Based Practice Links to an external site.

For more information about how to frame a research question Links to an external site. depending on the topic, discipline, or type of questions, check the Systematic Review LibGuide Links to an external site.. 

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 Questions?

If you need assistance with creating a search in a health science database, contact your librarian:

Nedelina Tchangalova, Public Health Librarian, nedelina@umd.edu