What does PICO stand for?

• A. Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Effect
• B. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome
• C. Patient/Population, Intervention, Dose, Outcome
• D. Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome

Answer: (D)

PICO is a framework used to structure a clinical question so you can search and appraise evidence efficiently. It breaks the question into four components: Patient or Population (who you’re concerned with), Intervention (what you plan to do or test), Comparison (the alternative you’re comparing to, such as no treatment or standard care), and Outcome (what you want to measure, like symptom improvement or adverse effects). This setup keeps the question precise and directly linked to what will matter in care and in evaluating research.

The best choice uses these exact elements: Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome, which aligns with the standard terminology and includes a clear comparator and a defined outcome. Other options include terms that aren’t part of the typical PICO framework (like Dose) or substitute Outcome with nonstandard phrasing (like Effect), which can lead to less precise or less searchable questions.