Bridging the Doctor-Patient Gap Through Patient-Reported Outcomes

Cancer has dozens of common symptoms and side effects that patients and doctors may interpret differently : pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, neuropathy, mouth sores, appetite problems, taste problems, anxiety and insomnia... After 2010, recording symptoms and complaints directly by patients themselves through patient reported outcomes (PRO, outcomes reported by the patient)brought a new and highly valuable perspective to cancer treatment. Evidence shows that using patient-reported outcomes, abbreviated PRO in oncology, improves patients’ quality of life , reduces emergency visits and contributes to survival, as shown by studies in this field.

PRO use through mobile software in which patients record their own complaints directly and continuously communicates their main concerns and needs to health professionals.

PROs encourage patient-centered treatment . Sometimes patients need encouragement to describe symptoms and complaints. They may hesitate for reasons including reluctance to be perceived as complaining or fear of treatment discontinuation. Systematically monitoring PROs can help patients and doctors speak the same language, improving treatment effectiveness and patient experience.

Some questions recorded by PRO software designed specifically for cancer patients are as follows:

An appropriate method of recording patient-reported outcomes can help patients describe complaints better not only in doctors’ offices / hospitals but also at home.

As cancer survival rates and lifespans increase through advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, PROs are likely to play a central role in future cancer care. Survivors may experience various problems related to disease or treatment, continuing to harm them during or immediately after treatment, or even years later.

We need to pay attention to how people try to continue life after completing cancer treatment. Strong evidence shows that in the turmoil of treatment, patients’ complaints and difficulties may be perceived as normal, causing their adverse effects on patients’ lives to be underestimated.

Recently, integrating PRO data into hospital electronic health records has been pursued, but research into the best approach continues. Technological advances offer countless PRO recording methods / mobile applications, yet consolidating information into a single appropriate record can be problematic.

We can easily record PROs through various devices and applications, but more important is having supportive care professionals to evaluate results, respond to patients and provide education. A new service requires new providers; technological infrastructure alone is insufficient. Evaluating PRO results, coaching patients, intervening early in complaints and managing them are areas in which oncology nurses can be trained.

Clinical use of PRO has shown that most patients are ready for this new technology and immediately understand the value of reporting complaints, realizing it may help them feel better.