The PICOT method for stating the aim of a trial.

The aim should describe in one or two sentences the general purposes, for which the trial is being proposed.
When stating the aim of a trial, the author should consider using the PICOT method.

P	Patient population – for which group do you need information? e.g. Peri- menopausal women
I	Intervention – What treatment do you need to trial the effect of? e.g. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
C	Comparison – What treatment are you comparing against (could be alternative treatment or no treatment)? e.g. No HRT
O	Outcomes – How is the effect of the intervention measured? e.g. Effect on bone mineral density
T	Target – What is the target of the trial? i.e.are you asking whether the experimental intervention is 'superior' to the control intervention, or 'non-inferior' to it but preferable for some other reason such as safety or cost? e.g. Effect on bone mineral density

The advantages of using the PICOT method are:

It improves communication with potential collaborators, who argue about the question and both improve it and make it their own.
It clarifies the location of the randomized controlled trial along the explanatory-pragmatic axis.
It becomes easier to keep subsequent decisions e.g. who is eligible to enter the trial.

This page was last updated on 3rd April 2008.