Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) in Primary Healthcare

Background

PROMS can improve patient-centeredness, quality of care, and the relationship between patients and healthcare providers. Yet, there is virtually no routine use of PROMS in primary care in Switzerland. The objectives of this pilot study were: 

(1) to understand facilitators of and barriers to the administration of PROMS questionnaires in primary care in Switzerland and
(2) to develop a data analytics framework informing physicians about aggregate and individual PROMs of their patients.

Results A total of 134 patients participated in the pilot. The technical implementation was largely unproblematic. The main technological challenge was an occasional lag between data submission and their availability on the general practitioner’s dashboard.

- Patients appreciated discussions of survey results during consultations.
- According to the doctors, the pre-consultation assessment of the quality of life from the patient's perspective facilitated communication and relationship building.
- They emphasized the importance of explaining the aim and potential benefits of the survey to patients to increase participation and the integration of the data collection into routine consultation processes.
- A one-click export of a patient's results as a PDF was considered a useful addition. 
- The dashboards should be designed not only for the doctor but also for other health professionals, such as medical practice assistants. 
- The option of inviting patients to complete the questionnaire before their practice visit (in addition to or instead of doing so in the waiting room) should be evaluated. 
- The consent form was considered too long.
- Doctors should be alerted automatically when a patient had submitted a survey to avoid overlooking it in the busy clinical routine.