The Use of Patient-reported Outcomes at an Individual Level – Benefits and Challenges

The aim of this article is to review the application of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in clinical care and consider its benefits, challenges and potential improvements. Previous studies demonstrated that health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data provide information to clinicians on patient health status, QoL, symptoms and wellbeing, along with any changes in these, and helps clinicians judge the needs of patients and tailor treatments accordingly. In addition, the benefits of the application of HRQoL tools include the involvement of patients in informed decision-making in terms of their treatment or care, higher patient satisfaction with healthcare services, improved patient–clinician relationships and better communication. In many studies, health professionals have expressed their interest in using these measures but feel they need to better understand them. Despite the wide use of information-gathering questionnaires and their promising results, it is still a challenge to predict the full value of these measures in clinical care. This article addresses these major concerns.