Use frameworks to avoid falling down the information rabbit hole.
Frameworks also help:
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| Patient / Population | Intervention | Comparison | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Human |
Annual wellness exam | Annual ultrasound and CA125 tests | Early detection of ovarian cancer |
| Canine Labrador mix Male, neutered 12 years old Osteoarthritis |
NSAID | Glucosamine Chondroitin supplement Fish oil supplement |
Improved quality of life Improved mobility Decreased pain |
PICO is a popular framework for clinical questions, especially those relating to therapy (intervention) effectiveness. This framework helps identify discrete and searchable aspects of a situation where a patient or population has a certain condition and the outcome of interest is related to a therapy or intervention.
Patient/Population: how would you describe the patient or population of interest?
Intervention: what therapy or intervention do you want to investigate exposing the patient or population to?
Comparison: (optional) (may be null) what therapy or intervention do you want to compare the primary intervention to?
Outcome: the outcome of interest; may be used in search terms or during results review
Time: (optional) may be a limiter or used during results review (the past 5 years, for example)
Study: (optional) may be a limiter or used during results review (preferring systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and RCTs over other study designs, for example)
| Patient / Population | Exposure(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| High school students | Bullying | Develop an anxiety disorder |
| Children under 12 years old | Lead-based paint during early childhood | Develop hearing and/or speech problems |
PEO is another framework that is especially useful when investigating a prognosis or likelihood of developing a certain condition as a result of a pre-existing condition or exposure.
Patient/Population: how would you describe the patient or population of interest?
Exposure: what pre-existing conditions does the patient/population have or what has the patient/population been exposed to?
Outcome: the outcome of interest; unlike in PICO, the outcome is almost always used in the search terms with the PEO framework
