Table 1 Examples of matching based on PICO elements
PICO element | Decision analysis | Systematic review of RCTs | Matching category |
|---|---|---|---|
Participant (P) | “premenopausal women with newly diagnosed hormone responsive breast cancer” [14] | “premenopausal women with early breast cancer which was responsive for estrogen receptor” [15] | Optimum |
“women with breast cancer” [16] | “women with early stage breast cancer” [17] | Broad | |
“ high risk women seeking prophylactic mastectomy” [18] | “women with invasive breast cancer” [19] | Broadest | |
Intervention (I)/Control (C) | “breast conserving surgery” (intervention) and “mastectomy” (control) [16] | “breast conserving surgery” (intervention) and “mastectomy” (control) [20] | Optimum |
“medical ovarian suppression or surgical ovarian suppression” (intervention). [14] | “medical ovarian suppression” (intervention) [15] | Broad | |
“conservation therapy (medical and other methods)” (control) [21] | “medical therapy” for patients with non-acute coronary artery disease (control) [22] | Broad | |
“surgery” (intervention) [23] | “laser excision” in patients with glottic cancer (intervention) [20] | Broadest | |
Outcome (O) | “overall survival” [14] | “overall survival” [15] | Optimum |
“complications” [18] | “morbidity” [19] | Broad | |
“breast cancer mortality” [24] | “all-cause mortality” [25] | Broadest |