Create a 3-5 page submission in which you develop a PICO(T) question for the
diagnosis you worked with in the first two assessments and evaluate the evidence you
locate, which could help to answer the question.
PICO(T) is an acronym that helps researchers and practitioners define aspects of a
potential study or investigation.
It stands for:
P – Patient/population/problem.
I – Intervention.
C – Comparison (of potential interventions, typically).
O – Outcome(s).
T – Time frame (if time frame is relevant).
The end goal of applying PICO(T) is to develop a question that can help guide the
search for evidence (Boswell & Cannon, 2015). From this perspective, a PICO(T)
question can be a valuable starting point for nurses who are starting to apply an
evidence-based model or EBPs. By taking the time to precisely define the areas in
which the nurse will be looking for evidence, searches become more efficient and
effective. Essentially, by precisely defining the types of evidence within specific areas,
the nurse will be more likely to discover relevant and useful evidence during their
search. When applying the PICO(T) approach, the nurse can isolate the interventions of
interest and compare to other existing interventions for the evidenced impact on the
outcome of the concern.
You are encouraged to complete the Vila Health PICO(T) Process activity before you
develop the plan proposal. This activity offers an opportunity to practice working through
creating a PICO(T) question within the context of an issue at a Vila Health facility. These
skills will be necessary to complete Assessment 3 successfully. This is for your own
practice and self-assessment and demonstrates your engagement in the course.
Reference
Boswell, C., & Cannon, S. (2015). Introduction to nursing research. Jones & Bartlett
Learning.
Professional Context
As a baccalaureate-prepared nurse, you will be responsible for locating and identifying
credible and scholarly resources to incorporate the best available evidence for the
purposes of enhancing clinical reasoning and judgement skills. When reliable and
relevant evidence-based findings are utilized, patients, health care systems, and
nursing practice outcomes are positively impacted.
PICO(T) is a framework that can help you structure your definition of the issue, potential
approach that you are going to use, and your predictions related to the issue. Word
choice is important in the PICO(T) process because different word choices for similar
concepts will lead you toward different existing evidence and research studies that
would help inform the development of your initial question. When writing a PICO(T)-
formatted research question, you want to focus on the impact of the intervention and the
comparison on the outcome you desire.
Scenario
For this assessment, please use the diagnosis you worked with in the first two
assessments.
Instructions
After reviewing the materials you created to research a specific diagnosis in the first two
assessments, apply the PICO(T) process to develop a research question and research
it.
Your initial goal is to define the population, intervention, comparison, and outcome. In
some cases, a time frame is relevant and you should include that as well, when writing
a question you can research related to your issue of interest. After you define your
question, research it, and organize your initial findings, select the two sources of
evidence that seem the most relevant to your question and analyze them in more depth.
Specifically, interpret each source’s specific findings and best practices related to your
chosen diagnosis, and explain how the evidence would help you plan and make
decisions related to your question.
If you need some structure to organize your initial thoughts and research, the PICOT
Question and Research Template document (accessible from the “Create PICO(T)
Questions” page in the Capella library’s Evidence Based Practice guide) might be
helpful.
In your submission, make sure you address the following grading criteria:
Define a practice issue to be explored via a PICO(T) approach. Create a
PICO(T)-formatted research question
Identify sources of evidence that could be potentially effective in answering a
PICO(T) question (databases, journals, websites, etc.).
Explain the findings from articles or other sources of evidence as it relates to the
identified health care issue.
Explain the relevance of the findings from chosen sources of evidence to making
decision related to a PICO(T) question.
Communicate using writing that is clear, logical, and professional with correct
grammar and spelling using the current APA style.
Example Assessment: You may use the following to give you an idea of what a
Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like:
Using a PICO(T) Framework and Evidence to Develop Care Practices
Learner’s Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX4030: Making Evidence-Based Decisions
Instructor Name
August, 2020
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Copyright ©2019 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are
prohibited.
Using a PICO(T) Framework and Evidence to Develop Care Practices
When developing care practices for patients, the PICO(T) research framework, which
expands to Population/Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time, can be
used to
create an effective care plan and ensure that patients’ needs are met. Relying on
secondary
research, the author of this paper will define a practice issue surrounding patients with
dementia,
apply the PICO(T) process, identify sources of evidence that may provide answers to
the
research question, explain key findings from articles, and explain the relevance of those
key
findings.
Use of the PICO(T) Approach when Caring for Patients with Dementia
The practice issue identified for resolution is the need to develop care practices that
effectively manage agitation in patients with dementia in nursing homes that are outside
of
pharmacological approaches. The question being explored is: Is the non-
pharmacological
approach, specifically an intervention approach, more effective than the
pharmacological
approach in managing behavioral symptoms (such as agitation) in patients with
dementia?
The intervention approach identified is person-centered care or patient-centered care
(PCC), an approach that emphasizes more on an individual’s experiences and the
communication
of his or her needs than on the pure implementation of a health care provider’s
expertise (Desai,
et al., 2017). The population being studied are patients with dementia with agitative
behavioral
symptoms in nursing homes. As the objective is to explore care practices that address
this issue,
only factors related to care in nursing homes are considered. The study does not take
into
consideration cultural, political, and social factors (Kim & Park, 2017).
Identification of Sources of Evidence
DICE Model
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Copyright ©2019 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are
prohibited.
The DICE (Describe, Investigate, Create, and Evaluate) model is a notable PCC
intervention model that identifies optimal treatment options for patients with dementia
with
neuropsychiatric symptoms. Developed by a panel of interdisciplinary experts at the
University
of Michigan Program for Positive Aging, the model is constitutive of a four-step
approach. The
first step of the approach is the accurate description of the patient’s behavior, the
second is the
identification of possible underlying causes, the third is the creation and implementation
of
treatment plans, and the fourth is the assessment of the strategies developed (Desai et
al., 2017;
Kales et al., 2014).
The model’s essential recommendations for facilitating improvement in neuropsychiatric
symptoms among patients with dementia are educating the caregiver; forging better
communication between the patient and the caregiver; assisting the caregiver in
organizing
meaningful activities such as cooking, painting, or reading depending