The PICO Model
Defining a clinical question in terms of the specific patient problem aids the searcher in finding clinically relevant evidence in the literature. The PICO Model is a format to help define your question.
| P | Patient, Population, or Problem | How would I describe a group of patients similar to mine? |
| I | Intervention, Prognostic Factor, or Exposure | Which main intervention, prognostic factor, or exposure am I considering? |
| C | Comparison or Intvervention (if appropriate) | What is the main alternative to compare with the intervention? |
| O | Outcome you would like to measure or achieve | What can I hope to accomplish, measure, improve, or affect? |
Online Resources to Explore:
The National Library of Medicine (NLM)
The National Library of Medicine provides not only PubMed and MedlinePlus,
but several other useful resources.
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MEDLINEPlusConsumers' health information produced by the National Library of Medicine that is authoritative and up to date.
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LitCovidFrom the National Library of Medicine : LitCovid is a curated literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about the 2019 novel Coronavirus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC is also a great source for statistics.
For more information on this, see the Finding Statistics page.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health
within the United Nations system.
The Cochrane Collaboration
The Cochrane Collaboration is an international network
known for providing the best possible evidence-based information.
The Joanna Briggs Institute
The Joanna Briggs Institute is an international collaborative focused on evidence-based healthcare.
EBP Resources contains manuals for evidence synthesis and evidence implementation, along with critical appraisal tools.
Some content is available to all for free and some requires a subscription/membership.
And More Online Resources to Explore:
Public Health Associations & Organizations
The following public health associations and organizations have a variety of resources available online.
Government Agencies, Departments, & Resources
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Use the information on specific Environmental Topics and Laws and Regulations for environmental information and data.
Evidence-Based Practice Websites
Resources for Practice Guidelines
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ECRI Guidelines TrustECRI Guidelines Trust is an interactive guideline portal, puts current, evidence-based clinical practice guideline summaries directly into the hands of clinicians, researchers, medical librarians, and patients.
Note: Users will have to create a free account through ECRI to view the content. -
Trip DatabaseTrip is a clinical search engine designed to allow users to quickly and easily find and use high-quality research evidence to support their practice and/or care.