ADDITIONAL INFORMATION;

Advanced Clinical Inquiry and PICO(T)

Introduction

The PICO(T) method is a tool that helps bridge the gap between physicians and patients. It can be used to help clarify what a doctor is talking about, providing clarity and making sure all parties are on the same page. The PICO(T) method was developed by Drs. Davila-Lara & Hernández-Espinoza who were both students in my lab at UAB when we first implemented it with our medical students. We wanted to give them something new (and fun!) to learn during their third year clinical rotations, so we came up with this idea!

We have all been to the doctor and wondered, “what is this doctor even talking about?”

We have all been to the doctor and wondered, “what is this doctor even talking about?” Doctors use medical jargon that you might not understand. They use abbreviations that make it hard to keep up with their speech. And they use medical terms that sound like someone from another planet: “PICO(T)” for example!

Advanced Clinical Inquiry has a tool that helps bridge that gap between physicians and patients – the PICO(T) Method.

The PICO(T) Method is a way to clearly define the problem, and it helps bridge that gap between physicians and patients. It also allows physicians to clarify what they are talking about.

PICO(T) stands for Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time.

PICO(T) stands for Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome and Time. It is used to help physicians clarify what they are talking about.

For example: “the patient has been diagnosed with depression and has had several attempts at treatment” could be clarified as follows:

1 – The patient has been diagnosed with depression

2 – The diagnosis was made by a physician who understands the disorder well enough to accurately diagnose it.

3 – The diagnosis was made after the physician consulted with other doctors or professionals who have expertise in treating this condition (e.g., psychologists).

Patient refers to a particular patient or population.

The term patient refers to a particular person or group of people who may be affected by an illness or condition. In the medical field, a patient is someone who receives care and treatment for an illness or disease. For example, a patient may be referred to as “John Doe,” “Jane Doe,” or “Patient-1.”

In contrast, in the social sciences, such as psychology or sociology (and even in some cases economics), patients are individuals who participate in research studies on topics related to their health and behavior.

Intervention introduces the variable of interest (a treatment) or the focus on an action by the patient, such as discontinuation of medication.

Intervention introduces the variable of interest (a treatment) or the focus on an action by the patient, such as discontinuation of medication.

• Example: A patient with HIV/AIDS presents to your office complaining that his health has declined over time and he wants to stop taking his medication. You ask him why he stopped taking it and he says that he had some side effects from it. You then ask him if there is another drug available for treating his symptoms and he says yes; however, it’s not prescribed often because people with HIV/AIDS tend to die early in their disease process so they don’t need many different medications like other people do who have more chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease.*

Comparison allows researchers to determine how two groups differ in relation to their outcomes.

Comparison allows researchers to determine how two groups differ in relation to their outcomes.

Comparison is an important aspect of any scientific process. It allows scientists to test the effects of an intervention, treatment or medication on a population and compare those results with those obtained from another group that has been studied in isolation. Comparison also allows researchers to determine if there are differences between groups with respect to certain variables such as age or gender; this could be useful in determining whether or not these factors have any impact on health outcomes.

Outcome is the result of interest related to the intervention.

Outcome is the result of interest related to the intervention. It can be measured in many ways and have different meanings. There are subjective outcomes, such as patient satisfaction or quality of life; there are objective outcomes, like health changes or financial savings; and there are long-term outcomes that include both short-term changes and long-term gains, such as a decrease in healthcare costs associated with a new medication or procedure.

Time refers to the length of time that each group of participants are observed.

Time refers to the length of time that each group of participants are observed. It can be a short period, such as 2 weeks, or it can be a long period, such as 6 months. The purpose of measuring time is to assess whether your research design is working properly and determine if there are any changes needed in order for your study to continue successfully.

The PICO(T) method can be used to help physicians clarify what they are talking about.

The PICO(T) method can be used to help physicians clarify what they are talking about. The five “Ps” (or parts) are:

• Patient Population – What is the population being studied?

• Intervention – What interventions do you want or need for this population?

• Comparison Group – Who did not receive your intervention and why, if at all, were they different from those who received it?

• Outcome Measures – How will outcomes be measured and how often will these measurements be repeated over time?

• Power Analysis – How many patients will be needed in order to detect an effect size with 95% confidence using alpha = 0.05 significance level

Conclusion

The PICO(T) method is an excellent tool that can be used to help physicians understand how their patients’ health conditions will change if they are given a particular treatment. It also allows physicians to monitor the effectiveness of treatments and compare different types of treatments so they can make better decisions about what type of care their patients should receive.