Help!! PICO question:patient abuse

Nursing Students Student Assist

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I need a PICO question for a research paper. I would like my topic to be patient abuse, but I can not think of PICO question. So far this is what I have

Population: Elderly patients

Intervention: abused by caregivers

Comparison: not abused by caregivers

O: ??????

or

Population: Nurses

Intervention: abuse patients

Comparison: do not abuse patients

Outcome: ???

I can't figure out an OUTCOME.

I would appreciate your help or any suggestions. Thank you!!

de2013 said:
I can tell you right now if your intervention is abusing patients your outcome will be jail time.

Tears ran down my face b/c I laughed so hard.

Also, interventions like linking caregivers to support groups, respite services, etc. or having staff complete an elder abuse course/training upon hire...just some suggestions for interventions.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

I wasn't familiar with PICO (I'm a nsg dinosaur) but google's Wikipedia had something which makes me ask a couple of questions. Firstly, who are you trying to identify as your population - pts OR caregivers??? I believe that you intend pts.

But how will you measure anything?!?! I mean, how can you tell they've NOT been abused? I think that's what you want to be the outcome. How would you know? A/E/B ???

Not ever having heard of PICO before, I'm thinking your PICO paper is like a pre-research proposal? If so, maybe your population to study might be better as the caregivers (easier to tap into them as subjects).

I've said on AN before that I learn something here all the time. And this PICO thing interests me. Need to do more study on this topic. Thank you, OP.

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Hey!!

Yes this is what I came up with:

Will giving detailed discharge teachings (I) to caregivers of elderly patients (P) decrease the likelihood of abusing the elderly patient (O) compared to giving quick verbal discharge teachings ©?

But I think this is not going to work because I could not find enough research on it. ? So I think I'm going to have to go with a different route. I'm going to keep looking for information, but if I do not find articles I'm going to have to come up with something different, which most likely I will. Pico questions are tough. It's obviously not my cup of tea. LOL

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Stephalump said:
Her pointreally is still valid. You're not going to find good research on the topic. It would most likely be historical due to the nature of the issue. How would you set up an unbiased rct for that question? I don't think you could.

You are right, very hard to find good research on this topic! ?

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P: patients being discharged from hospitals

I: detailed discharge teachings (pamphlets, videos, websites, phone numbers for resources, etc)

? non-detailed quick discharge teachings (verbal only)

O: increase patient compliance

?? ?

I think this one is better. I know for my topic I had said I wanted "patient abuse", but it's too complicated. Still deciding. I'm going to try to think of other PICO questions for my research paper, compare them and make a decision on which one I think is best.

Everyone has been great in helping me understand PICO and what I need to consider and improve! You are appreciated!! Thank you!!

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Haha I agree with never having to use it again! I can not wait to get it over with!! Good luck with your PICO question!! If you need help, I can do my best to help, but then again this isn't my cup of tea. LOL. To update you I came up with a different PICO question. ? because I could not find enough research on how discharge teaching can decrease patient abuse by caregivers. So I guess it wasnt a good question. Sigh. LOL

P: patients

I: detailed discharge teachings (pamphlets, videos, websites, phone numbers for resources, etc)

? non-detailed quick discharge teachings (verbal only)

O: increase patient compliance

I'm going to send this to my instructor and see if she thinks this is better!! crossing my fingers this one is thee one! ?

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For what it's worth, we don't talk about "compliance" anymore. You comply with an order given by a superior; not to comply is to be open to punishment or other retribution distributed by the superior.

Our patients, however, always have the choice whether to adhere to a recommendation or not. Use "adherence."

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GrnTea said:

For what it's worth, we don't talk about "compliance" anymore. You comply with an order given by a superior; not to comply is to be open to punishment or other retribution distributed by the superior.

Our patients, however, always have the choice whether to adhere to a recommendation or not. Use "adherence."

I did not know this. Thank you!! I definitely will use "adherence" from now on!!

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