Answer to Question 1
C
Chronic illness is one that lasts more than 6 months. Acute illness is short term and intense but resolves. Tertiary prevention strives to prevent complications and deterioration. Internal variables include a patient's developmental stage, and intellectual, emotional, and cultural background.
Answer to Question 2
C
P: Patient population of interest. Identify patients by age, gender, ethnicity, disease, or health problem.
I: Intervention of interest. Which intervention do you want to use in practice (e.g., a treatment, diagnostic test, educational approach)?
C: Comparison of interest. What is the usual standard of care or current intervention that you now use in practice?
O: Outcome. What result do you wish to achieve or observe as a result of an intervention (e.g., change in patient behavior, physical finding, patient perception)?
Policy, information, comparison, collection, and communication are not included in PICO.