PICO Worksheet
Define your PICO Components (OUTCOME MUST MATCH THE PROBLEM)
Your question should be used to help establish your search strategy
1. Problem:
Patient has history of past decay and active incipient caries in the mouth. Would a Rx fluoridated toothpaste be
more effective than over the counter fluoride toothpaste
2. Intervention:
Prevident 5000 and Colgate Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste
3. Comparison:
Remineralization of tooth decalcification to decrease chance of tooth decay
4. Outcome: An Rx of Prevident 5000ppm has a higher dose of fluoride and compared to colgate OTC toothpaste
that will work better for incipient lesions when used properly at home.
5. Write out your question using the formula. (USE PICO COMPONENTS).
For a patient with generalized incipient lesions, will Rx
Prevident 5000 as compared to Colgate Anticavity toothpaste be
more successful at remineralizing those demineralized tooth
surfaces?
Identify the Type of question. Circle one:
Therapy/Prevention
Diagnosis
Etiology/Causation/Harm
Prognosis
6. Identify the type of study to include in your search.
Meta-Analysis
Clinical Trial Cohort Study
Cohort Study
Study Other:
Randomized Controlled Trial
Case series or Case Report
Systematic Review Practice
Guidelines
Case Control
Literature Review
7. List main topics and alternative terms from your PICO question that can be used for your search.
•
best whitening method
•
Hydrogen peroxide vs B
8. List inclusion criteria - e.g., gender, age,
year of publication
61 year-old caucasian female, stopped fluoride and does not use anything to treat her cavities.
List where you plan to search, e.g., MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Database, Other:
Pubmed, cochrane database, medline.