What is PICOT used for? PICOT is used for creating or finding the best practice evidence based research. [1] A PICOT question helps you,

 
What is PICOT used for?
PICOT is used for creating or finding the best practice evidence based research. [1]

A PICOT question helps you,

 	
form a question which focuses on an important issue for a patient or population
 	
Identify important terms to use while searching for evidence
 	
Filter for and select results directly related to your topic of interest

The PICOT question can fall under these categories: [3]

 	
Therapy/Prevention
 	
Diagnosis
 	
Etiology
 	
Prognosis

P
P represents Population/Patient/Problem [3] - this would indicate the type of person or population of people that you want to research about. Here, you can note their characteristics, and any health conditions that might be present, any health goals, or any other qualities. [1]
I
I represents Intervention - this would be the treatment, conditions, or changing factor present in the question you are creating. [1]
C
C represents Comparison - this would be the group you want to compare to, generally the control group, who receives no treatment, a general standard treatment, or a 'gold-standard' treatment. [1]
O
O represents Outcome - this is the result or outcome that you would like measured in your research question. This would indicate the result of the intervention in your question. [1]
T
T, is an optional component of PICOT which represents Time - the period, or duration of effect, that is a part of your research question. [1]
Creating a PICOT question