Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) collect information directly from patients about their symptoms and health. This data helps doctors understand patient health better without guessing.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires collecting PROMs from some groups, like half of the patients who get hip or knee replacements. This rule helps ensure practices gather this data.
Still, a 2023 survey by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that even though 52% of members value PROMs, only 35% use them regularly. This shows how hard it is to add PROMs fully into daily care.
Adding PROMs into daily work needs careful planning. It should not slow down the clinic and must work for patients and staff alike. The following strategies come from research and experts like AAOS and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Workflows should change to include PROM collection smoothly. PROMs work best when patients are paying attention and when it fits the usual steps.
For example:
Clear roles and easy technology improve confidence and smooth the process. The AAOS PROMs Workgroup offers guides to help customize workflows.
Getting patients involved is important. Practices should explain what PROMs are and why patient answers matter.
Offer easy options, such as mobile forms or paper forms, so all patients can participate. Make PROMs fit the patient’s condition and use language that is easy to understand for different cultures.
Doctors and nurses encouraging patients during visits help too. When patients believe their input matters, they are more likely to complete PROMs fully.
Using electronic PROMs (ePROMs) is better than paper forms. Patients can fill out ePROMs before visits, saving time and giving accurate data.
A review found that 41% of studies use mobile apps to collect ePROMs in primary care. However, some patients may not know how to use digital tools or may not have access.
To help:
Connecting ePROM data directly to EHRs reduces data entry work and errors.
Following rules from CMS and others is important. Practices must send PROM data on time and correctly to avoid penalties.
The AAOS Vendor Program helps connect clinics with technology partners who know how to meet these standards. Choosing vendors with good CMS compliance and EHR integration saves problems later.
Using frameworks like RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) helps in checking and improving PROM use over time.
Staff training is key. Workers may resist new tasks if they feel extra work or don’t understand their role.
Good training includes:
Continuous support and feedback help find problems early and encourage staff to keep using PROMs.
New technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation can help solve problems in PROM use. AI can reduce staff work, improve data, and involve patients more.
Traditional PROM collection takes time and creates lots of data that can be hard to manage. AI can change this by using Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). CAT gives questions based on previous answers, so surveys are shorter but still accurate.
AI tools like Natural Language Processing (NLP) analyze answers fast, finding important health signs and trends that need care. This helps doctors act sooner.
AI can send automated reminders by texts, emails, or apps, asking patients to complete PROMs before visits. Reminders can change based on how patients respond, helping more complete the forms.
Inside clinics, AI can enter PROM data into EHRs automatically and avoid duplicate work or mistakes. Bots can track who completed PROMs and find missing data, helping staff manage tasks easier.
AI models use PROM data and other health information to spot patients at risk for problems. This helps doctors make care plans that fit each patient and use resources where they are needed most.
These predictions can support shared decision-making by giving doctors and patients personalized outcome information.
AI can improve fairness in data collection by offering multi-language support, voice recognition for patients who can’t read well, and questions that respect cultural and gender differences. This helps include many types of patients in PROM use.
U.S. healthcare has special challenges like complex payment systems, many kinds of EHRs, and diverse patients.
Suggestions include:
Leaders in healthcare have an important part. They decide what matters, give resources, and build a work culture that values patient data.
Good leaders invest in technology, teach staff, and redesign workflows. They also share clear reasons why PROM use is good, like better patient health, more patient satisfaction, and following CMS rules.
Leaders support ongoing efforts to check progress and change plans when needed.
PROMs give the patient’s perspective and experience. Using PROMs helps doctors and patients decide care together by offering clear information about symptoms and treatment effects.
When PROMs are used well, care matches patient preferences better. This can improve how patients follow treatment and how happy they are with care.
CMS rules that require PROM reporting show why health systems should include PROMs in regular practice.
By following these practices and using technology like AI and automation, U.S. clinics can increase PROM use. This helps involve patients more, meet rules, and improve the quality of care as healthcare changes.
PROMs are tools used to measure patient symptoms, health status, and quality of life from the patient’s perspective, intended to enhance clinical care and decision-making.
The growing significance of PROMs is driven by new regulations from CMS requiring their collection for procedures like hip and knee replacements, alongside evidence suggesting they improve patient outcomes.
Major obstacles include staff burden, patient adherence, costs of collection systems, data accessibility, integration with electronic health records, and communication with patients.
The workgroup has created a PROMs User Guide, a Utilization Scoring Tool, and best practices for collaboration with third-party vendors to simplify data collection.
Attendees will gain insights into CMS requirements, benefits of PROM utilization in clinical practice, best practices for shared decision-making, and implications of non-compliance.
This program offers a library of technology vendors and solutions to assist orthopaedic surgeons in the collection and analysis of patient outcomes data.
A 2023 survey revealed that while 52% of AAOS members believe in the importance of PROMs, only 35% actively implement them in practice.
PROMs enhance shared decision-making by providing clinicians and patients with relevant outcome data, facilitating discussions about treatment options based on patient-specific insights.
The new CMS regulations require hospitals and surgeons to collect and submit PROM data for 50% of eligible patients undergoing total hip or knee replacements.
Best practices include effectively integrating PROMs into workflows, ensuring accessibility for patients, and using PROMs data to drive communication and improve clinical outcomes.
Simbo is using AI agents to automate all phone related workflows. Connect now to know more.
Schedule AI Agents Demo Now© Since 2019, Simbo AI.
