No 76 - Why don’t we ask all patients for regular feedback on their treatments in primary care?
PROMs for every primary care patient!
Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) is a data collection method using in trials to collect feedback from patients on health outcomes that are important to them and on subjective health topics.
Currently, they are widely used in research and can be used quite frequently in specialist clinics like Rheumatology, Psychiatry, physiotherapy and others.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-technology-assessment-in-health-care/article/op96-patient-reported-outcome-measureselect-app/F8190E8ECCC2F649B48C96993615085C
https://transform.england.nhs.uk/key-tools-and-info/digital-playbooks/rheumatology-digital-playbook/using-electronic-patient-reported-outcome-measures-proms-to-improve-patient-outcomes/
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-tools-and-services/data-services/patient-reported-outcome-measures-proms
https://transform.england.nhs.uk/key-tools-and-info/digital-playbooks/rheumatology-digital-playbook/using-a-national-electronic-platform-to-collect-patient-reported-outcome-measures/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pts-free-digital-tool-patient-reported-outcome-prom-adhiraj-joglekar
However… I think it is massively underused in primary care.
Ideally, I would love to give all of my patients access to an app on their phone. The app has access to all of the standardised PROM survey tools.
During the consultation we can “favourite” the main ones I want them to use, for example, to collect data on how they feel when they start a new hypertension medicine and does it make them dizzy, giddy, nauseous, bloated, swollen ankles, tired, breathless etc?
But if they want to fill in another PROM survey they can access it themselves.
Then this data is automatically uploaded to their own EHR (electronic health record). The data on their app and on the EHR can then be used to guide treatment and improve their QOL.
All of this technology already exists, it just needs to be used!
https://theclinician.com/proms#:~:text=Capture%20outcomes,response%20rates%20(%3E80%25).
https://www.prom-select.eu/
https://www.teamscopeapp.com/use-cases/patient-reported-outcomes
https://www.buddyhealthcare.com/en/electronic-patient-reported-outcomes-collection
https://oncobites.blog/2021/10/20/is-there-an-app-for-that-using-electronic-patient-reported-outcomes-in-cancer-treatment/
It would also allow us to conduct better epidemiology studies of patients symptoms, it would provide better phase 4 monitoring of drug adverse events and it would provide a better safety signal. It would also give us better estimates that we can then use to counsel future patients about the side effects of different medications.
What do you think?