Examples of therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic questions in PICO format.
Therapeutic question
Population: women at risk of preterm delivery.Intervention: prenatal corticosteroids.Comparison: placeboOutcome: fetal, neonatal, and maternal morbidity and mortality.In women at risk of preterm delivery, does prenatal administration of corticosteroids decrease fetal, neonatal, and maternal morbidity and mortality? [25].
Diagnostic accuracy question
Patient: women of childbearing age with suspected endometriosis.Intervention (diagnostic): urinary markers.Comparison: laparoscopic surgery (reference test or gold standard).Outcome: diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, etc.) for the diagnosis of endometriosis.In women of childbearing age, are urinary markers more useful than laparoscopic surgery for the diagnosis of endometriosis? [26]
Prognostic Question
Patient: general population.Exposure: intermediate hyperglycemia.Comparison: normoglycemia.Outcome: risk of developing diabetes mellitus II.In the general population, is intermediate hyperglycemia associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus II compared to normoglycemia? [27]
