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Nursing

The PICO(T) framework

The PICO(T) framework is a tool used in evidence-based practice to formulate clinical questions and guide research. The acronym stands for:

  • P: Patient or Population
  • I: Intervention
  • C: Comparison (if applicable)
  • O: Outcome
  • T: Time (optional)

This framework helps in creating clear, focused questions that can be systematically researched. For example, a PICO(T) question might be: "In elderly patients with hypertension (P), does a low-sodium diet (I) compared to a regular diet © reduce blood pressure (O) over six months (T)?"