TimelyScholarFree Tools › PICO & PICOT Question Generator
Build a focused, searchable clinical or research question. Choose the question type, fill in each element and get a well-formed PICO, PICOT, PECO, SPIDER or PCC question.
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In adults with type 2 diabetes, what is the effect of supervised resistance training compared with usual care on glycaemic control (HbA1c) over 12 months?
| Population (P) | adults with type 2 diabetes |
|---|---|
| Intervention (I) | supervised resistance training |
| Comparison (C) | usual care |
| Outcome (O) | glycaemic control (HbA1c) |
| Time (T) | 12 months |
Each element becomes a search concept: combine synonyms for each concept with OR, then combine concepts with AND. Outcomes and comparators are usually left out of the search itself, unless they are consistently reported in abstracts.
Therapy, harm, diagnosis, prognosis, experiences or scoping.
Population, intervention or exposure, comparison, outcome and time.
And use each element as a search concept.
A well-built clinical question names the patient or population, the intervention or exposure, the comparison and the outcomes. Structuring a question this way makes it answerable and turns it straight into search concepts.
PICOT adds a time frame. Other frameworks suit other questions: PECO for exposures, SPIDER for qualitative evidence and PCC for scoping reviews.
PICOT adds T, the time frame over which the outcome is measured, such as 12 months.
SPIDER (sample, phenomenon of interest, design, evaluation, research type) was designed for qualitative and mixed-methods questions.