Toward a better understanding of patient-reported outcomes in clinical practice

Current shifts toward patient-centered healthcare and accountable payment options point to the more personalized production of better health, not just healthcare, as a next organizational paradigm. Transformation to a system geared toward promoting health requires us to think broadly about what it means to engage patients meaningfully, to give them a voice in their health and care, and to capture more of their varied experience and attitudes beyond the provider visit. The collection and use of patient-reported outcome data into electronic health records represents an important step forward for the transition to a more patient-centered health system. We set out an agenda for better understanding how and when patient-reported outcomes may improve patient health and care experience.