'The patient': at the center of patient-reported outcomes

The recent emphasis of including patient reports in their own care management is reviewed in terms of the factors that contributed to its popularity. The role change of patients as being active participants in their own care as a result of the rising consumerism and advocacy has led to increased pressures for including patients in the therapeutic decision-making process. As consumers of clinical services, their perspectives and attitudes towards health and illness acquired more importance. The rising cost of healthcare has added another dimension in cost containment by empowering patients and sharing responsibility in their recovery, which hopefully can improve outcomes. Challenges in the development and implementation of patient-reported outcomes in psychiatry are reviewed and include the still unresolved subjective/objective dichotomy, identification of the most appropriate and relevant patient-reported outcomes. Few outcomes are identified and include: subjective tolerability of medication, self-reported health-related quality of life, preferences, patients' attitudes towards health and illness, satisfaction with medication and overall satisfaction of quality of care, and functional state, with particular focus on social functioning.