What is PICOT? How can it help me refine my research question

PICOT is a structured framework used to formulate clinical research questions, particularly in evidence-based practice and clinical trials. It stands for:

• P (Population/Patient): Who is the patient or population of interest? (e.g., age, disease, condition)
• I (Intervention): What is the treatment, exposure, or intervention being considered? (e.g., drug, procedure, diagnostic test)
• C (Comparison): What is the alternative to the intervention? (e.g., placebo, standard of care, no treatment)
• O (Outcome): What are the expected results or effects? (e.g., reduced symptoms, improved survival, fewer side effects)
• T (Time): What is the duration of the study or follow-up period? (optional, but useful in some contexts)

Example PICOT question:

“In elderly patients with hypertension (P), does a low-sodium diet (I) compared to standard diet (C) reduce blood pressure (O) over six months (T)?”

This framework helps ensure that research questions are specific, focused, and answerable using clinical studies.