PICO model for developing EBM questions
PICO method for EBM questions - about therapy and diagnosis Population Intervention (predictive variable) Comparison Outcome Therapy (controlled clinical trial) with certain condition Treatment of interest Placebo or some other control Out- come(s) of Interest Diagnosis (cross- sectional study) potential diagnosis of Diagnostic or screening test Gold standard or reference test True and false positives and negatives 2
PICO method for EBM questions – about prognosis Population Intervention (pred.var.) Comparison Outcome Prognosis (cohort study) with certain condition (at a uniform and early point in its course i.e. an inception cohort) Prognostic variable Similar population with a comparison category; or no comparison done and cohort is followed for outcome 3
PICO method for EBM questions – about aetiology Population Intervention (predictive factor) Comparison Outcome Aetiology (case control study) with certain condition Risk or aetiological factors Similar population but without the Odds for risk factors in the two group (cohort the risk factor The risk factor without Condition(s) 4