Evolving the PICOT Method for the Digital Age: The PICOT-D
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Background:
Many articles written about the PICOT (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Time) method for developing research questions focus on searching the existing evidence base to review the impact of interventions. The PICOT method evolved to craft questions that yield operative search terms. Currently, the PICOT method falls short in its utility for health care and doctoral education. For example, the Doctor of Nursing Practice scholarly practice projects evaluate the existing evidence base and compare the current real-world state with the evidence base, for which the current conceptualization of the PICOT method has limited applicability.
Method:
The PICOT-D adds digital data (D) components to the traditional PICOT, allowing for the explicit identification of data measures that form the basis of the evaluation of an intervention.
Results:
the PICOT-D has the potential to improve student efficiency, efficacy, and confidence in the development of truly answerable questions that fully support improved patient care and systems-level change.
Conclusion:
This article demonstrates the need for the evolution of the PICOT format to the PICOT-D format.
