Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are tools that collect information directly from patients. They ask about symptoms, health status, and quality of life. Traditional clinical data mostly comes from medical tests and observations, but PROMs focus on what patients say about their health and recovery. For people who run medical practices, it is important to know about PROMs. They help meet rules, improve care, and make work easier.
PROMs often take the form of surveys that ask patients about pain, physical ability, emotions, and daily activities. This data helps doctors and healthcare managers make better decisions. For example, after operations like hip or knee replacements, PROMs can show if patients are truly getting better in ways that matter to them.
Part of PROMs’ growing role is because of new rules by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS wants hospitals and surgeons to report PROM data for at least half of patients having hip or knee replacements. This rule encourages providers to use patient feedback to improve care quality and show how well they perform.
A 2023 survey by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that 52% of its members think PROMs are important. But only 35% actually collect and use PROM data. This shows some problems like extra work for staff, patients not finishing surveys, and the costs of collecting and using PROMs.
PROMs also help patients and doctors make decisions together. When doctors have PROM data, they can change treatments based on how patients feel. This might mean changing pain medicine, therapy, or surgery plans. Patient feedback improves communication and keeps patients more involved in their care.
Along with PROMs, there are Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs). These check how patients feel about the care they get. PREMs ask about patient satisfaction with doctors, nurses, staff, and the facilities. One well-known example is the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys. Many U.S. healthcare systems use CAHPS to measure patient-centered care.
PREMs look at things like how easy it is to make appointments, how clear communication is, how fast care happens, and how well providers work together. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) runs CAHPS. Their data helps find areas where care can get better. Studies show that good patient experiences link to fewer hospital readmissions, better treatment follow-through, and lower death rates in hospitals.
PREMs give feedback about care seen by patients, but they are also used by hospitals and governments to guide improvements and policies. Even though PREMs are common, there is less proof that big system-level PREM data always leads to better everyday patient experiences.
Together, PROMs and PREMs give a fuller picture of care quality. PROMs show patient health results, while PREMs check how well care is delivered. Medical practices that use both can improve care, meet what patients need, and follow rules.
Even though PROMs have clear benefits, many healthcare providers find them hard to use. Staff may be overwhelmed by extra work like explaining surveys, collecting answers, entering data, and managing technology. Patients might not always finish PROM surveys because they take time, especially for older people or those not comfortable with technology.
Money is also a problem. PROM tools, software, data management, and training cost money. Connecting PROM information with Electronic Health Records (EHRs) can be hard and requires IT resources.
Healthcare groups need to explain how PROMs help to both patients and leadership. Showing that PROMs support shared care decisions, improve results, and meet CMS rules helps get support.
The AAOS PROMs Workgroup, started in 2024, helps orthopedic practices solve these problems. They created resources like a User Guide and a Scoring Tool to help collect and use PROM data step-by-step. The AAOS PROMs Vendor Program also links providers with technology companies that offer PROM software. This helps reduce confusion and costs.
Technology is important for how PROMs are collected and used. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation can make things easier and faster for staff and patients.
For example, Simbo AI uses AI to run automated phone systems. These systems can schedule PROM surveys, remind patients to complete them, and answer common questions without staff needing to help. This lowers phone calls for staff and leads to more patients finishing surveys.
AI can also read and analyze patient answers that are written out. It can find patterns and alert doctors if urgent problems come up. This helps doctors pay attention to patients who need it most.
With AI, PROM answers can be sent directly into EHRs and linked with other clinical data. This smooth process supports real-time decisions and better patient records. It also lowers errors caused by manual data entry.
Digital tools can send surveys at times that fit each patient’s recovery. For example, someone healing from surgery might get PROM surveys at specific stages. This increases how useful and accurate responses are.
Using AI and automation lets medical managers use staff time better, help patients complete PROMs more often, and follow CMS rules with less manual work.
Medical practices in the U.S. need to take many steps to use PROMs well. This includes training staff, teaching patients, using technology, and checking progress all the time.
Hospitals and clinics should build PROM collection into daily care. They can schedule PROM surveys before and after appointments. Teaching patients why PROMs are helpful during visits improves participation.
Clinics need health IT systems that work well with PROM tools, EHRs, and reports. Connecting PROMs to quality programs and payment plans aligns patient care with financial goals.
Regularly reviewing PROM data helps doctors see results, find problems, and meet CMS reporting rules. Administrators must keep patient data private and safe following HIPAA rules.
Using outside help like the AAOS PROMs Workgroup and Vendor Program gives guidance and technology made for orthopedic and surgery clinics. These resources reduce trial and error and make PROM use more reliable.
Collecting and using PROMs shows a shift from just treating diseases to caring for patients as people. Patient-centered care respects what patients want and need and includes them in decisions about their treatment.
When PROMs show problems or patients are unhappy with treatment, doctors can fix issues earlier. This makes communication better and builds trust between patients and healthcare providers.
In the U.S., where healthcare is judged by quality and results, patient feedback is very important. Organizations focused on quality consider PROMs key for measuring care success beyond tests.
Good patient experiences found through PROMs and PREMs link to fewer avoidable hospital stays, better following of treatment plans, and lower death rates. This shows that putting patients at the center and measuring outcomes is not just paperwork, but helps achieve better health.
To make PROM use wider, healthcare groups must solve operational problems, use technology, and make sure teams understand and value PROMs. For administrators and IT managers, investing in PROMs now means better healthcare quality, patient satisfaction, and rule compliance in the future.
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.
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