Which of the following best describes the purpose of PICO in evidence-based practice?

• A. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome; used to formulate clinical questions and guide literature search and appraisal.
• B. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome; used to measure patient satisfaction.
• C. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome; used to decide hospital budgeting.
• D. Plan, Intervention, Cost, Outcome; used to implement care.

Answer: (C)

PICO is a way to frame a clinical question so you can find and assess the right evidence. It stands for Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome. By clearly defining who you’re asking about (the population), what you’re testing or considering (the intervention), what you’re comparing it to (the comparison), and what outcome matters (the outcome), you create a precise question that guides your literature search and appraisal. This structure helps you choose the most relevant studies, determine which results are applicable to the patient or scenario, and evaluate the quality of the evidence.

For example, you might ask about adults with hypertension (Population) and whether a low-sodium diet (Intervention) compared with a standard diet (Comparison) lowers systolic blood pressure (Outcome) over a set period. The PICO format sharpens the search terms and inclusion criteria, making the evidence gathering more efficient and meaningful.

PICO isn’t about measuring patient satisfaction, budgeting, or planning care. Its purpose is to help formulate focused clinical questions and guide the search and appraisal of evidence in evidence-based practice.