PICO is a technique that uses four elements to formulate a good clinical question that returns relevant results in a database search. The technique helps clarify the question - the result is finding a better answer. Keyword brainstorming will help find synonyms used in the database (for example teenagers or adolescents or high school students).
a specific age cohort (adults, older people, adolescents, infants)
a specific population (home-bound patients, hospitalized, nursing home patients)
a specific health cohort (COPD, healthy, systemic lupus erythematosus)
specific problem (hospital-acquired infection, fall injuries in hospitalized patients, CPR methods)
Here is an example of a PICO question and resulting search terms.
In adults with systemic lupus erythematosus, will drugs manage pain symptoms more effectively than complementary or alternative medicine therapies?
P - adults with systemic lupus erythematosus
I - drugs
C - complementary and alternative medicine
O - manage pain symptoms
Search terms:
P - systemic lupus erythematosus is listed as subject heading Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic in CINAHL
I - drugs
C - alternative medicine, complementary medicine (or be more specific: traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic, supplements, chiropractic, homeopathy, naturopathy, massage)
O - pain management, pain control, pain therapy