PROMs are surveys or questionnaires that patients fill out to share information about their own health. Healthcare providers do not interpret the answers. These reports give a look into the patient’s experience, including symptoms, how well they can move, mental health, and overall quality of life. Unlike tests or doctor assessments, PROMs show personal views from the patient.
PROMs have become more important as the US healthcare system focuses more on value-based care. This means payments depend on quality and results, not just how many services are provided. Since bundled payments began with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) in 2017, PROM data has been part of quality and payment evaluations. Private insurers also want good PROM data to join value-based contracts.
A 2018 study from New York University found that old ways of collecting PROMs had only 9.5% completion for initial surveys and 12 weeks after surgery. When an electronic PROM tool was used, completion went up to 53.85%. This shows that using digital tools that are easy for patients can greatly improve data collection. Providers who do not use these tools risk low-quality data, which can hurt care and payments.
PROMs are useful at many levels of healthcare:
In the US, healthcare groups need to think about all types of users when choosing PROM tools. The tool should work well for clinical, admin, and regulatory needs at the same time for long-term use.
Health systems like England’s National Health Service (NHS) and Sweden’s registers use standard PROMs like EQ-5D for general health, along with special tools for specific conditions. US systems can learn from these examples to pick PROMs that balance general use and detailed health info.
Generic PROMs check broad health issues, such as moving ability, pain, and mental wellness. They help compare different patient groups and care settings. Examples are EQ-5D and SF-36.
Condition-specific PROMs focus on detailed symptoms or limits linked to certain diseases or surgeries. For example, orthopedic clinics might use special PROMs that measure recovery after surgery. Using both types is often best: generic ones give broad info, while specific ones give details.
When choosing PROM tools, US healthcare providers must think about how to make them easy to use and fit well into practice:
Fatima Al Sayah from Alberta PROMs & EQ-5D Research & Support Unit says reviewing these details beforehand can help avoid problems later.
Getting patients involved is key to collecting good data. Tools must work for different cultures, languages, low literacy, and disabilities. Easy-to-use designs and several ways to respond help patients join in and reduce mistakes.
Madi Ballou, author of “A Guide to Collecting High-Quality Patient-Reported Outcomes,” says patients want personal interaction and convenience. Digital tools like regular email surveys or app alerts help get more people to respond and improve data completeness.
Automation can send out PROM surveys, collect answers, and manage data without staff doing each step. AI systems can send surveys at the right times based on a patient’s treatment and habits. This makes surveys more relevant and increases completion.
Reminders and follow-ups are automated too, so staff have more time for patient care and less for paperwork.
Automatic data capture lowers errors from manual typing. AI can spot incomplete or unclear answers and ask for fixes. This raises data quality before doctors see it.
AI also helps with real-time data analysis. Doctors get PROM results fast and can adjust care quickly. This is useful especially for chronic illnesses or recovery after surgery.
Sharing PROM data with EMRs and registries depends on automatic and compatible platforms. For example, the Force platform securely sends PROM data to groups like the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
In the US, linking PROM data with common EMRs like Epic, Cerner, and Allscripts helps providers see a full patient picture. This improves care and meets reporting needs for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) programs.
AI-based tools can change how they interact with patients depending on preferences, health knowledge, and behavior. For example, chatbots or voice assistants can guide patients through PROM surveys and explain questions in simple language or several languages.
These tools can also adjust how hard questions are or how often surveys come, keeping care patient-focused while gathering needed info.
Besides tool choice, what PROMs ask matters. The Château Santé Base (CS-Base) instrument used questions picked to focus on what patients think is important:
These areas help understand quality of life and health results. Tools with questions chosen by patients support better communication and thorough care. The CS-Base method uses mobile apps for easy access, showing a trend toward mixing convenience with useful data collection.
Choosing PROM collection tools involves many parts: clinical, technical, operational, and patient engagement. US medical practices that pick well-designed, patient-friendly, connected, and automated systems can provide better care, meet reporting needs, and get better payments.
Using digital PROM platforms with AI and automation, and carefully picking PROMs that reflect patient priorities and clinical goals, can raise response rates and improve data quality. Adding these tools into current workflows and EMRs helps doctors respond faster and lowers paperwork.
As US healthcare keeps focusing on patient-centered care and data-based quality improvement, PROM tools will become more important in shaping care and system performance.
PROMs are tools used to gather information directly from patients regarding their health status, quality of life, and satisfaction with care, which are essential for understanding patient experiences and outcomes.
Collecting PROMs is crucial for value-based care, as they help assess quality and effectiveness of healthcare services, impact reimbursement, and guide clinical decision-making.
Providers can utilize digital platforms to automate data collection, which streamlines the process, improves patient engagement, and enhances data accuracy and accessibility.
Important data points include demographics, quality of life, physical function, patient engagement, satisfaction, and discrete clinical metrics like pain levels and activity.
Automation simplifies the data collection and distribution process, allowing healthcare teams to focus more on patient care while ensuring high data accuracy and timely reporting.
Interoperability allows seamless sharing of PROMs data between various systems (like EMRs), facilitating integrated care, improving patient management, and meeting reporting requirements.
Active patient engagement through digital tools significantly improves PROMs collection rates by making the process user-friendly and convenient, thus encouraging participation.
Selecting a patient-centric PROM collection tool that fits organizational needs enhances data quality, supports scalability, and aligns with value-based care requirements.
Common methods include digital surveys through patient portals, emails, and integrating mobile applications that streamline the process and enhance patient feedback.
PROMs data can inform clinical trials and research initiatives on patient recovery, helping establish best practices and improve overall healthcare delivery.
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