Searching: PICO and PEO
PICO and PEO are research frameworks relating to the health subjects. They can help you generate keywords, search terms and define your research question.
PICO and PEO are primarily question generation tools. They are not themselves searching tools. Generating your question and searching for research on your topic, should be viewed as two separate and distinct processes.
PICO (quantitative framework)
To use PICO, answer each quantitative theme:
Population or Problem
What is the population or problem?
Example: Hospital acquired infection
Intervention(s)
What is(are) the intervention(s) related to the Population / Problem?
Example: Handwashing
Counter-Intervention(s) or Comparison
What is (are) the related counter-intervention(s)?
Example: No handwashing; other solutions e.g. masks
Outcome measure(s)
What is(are) the outcome(s) of the Intervention(s)?
Example: Reduced Infection rates
PEO (qualitative framework)
To use PEO, answer each qualitative theme:
Population
What is the concerned population?
Example: Young Women
Experience
What is this population experiencing?
Example: Cervical Screening
Outcomes or Themes
What are the outcomes or themes?
Example: Attitudes