Patient-reported outcomes in lasers and light therapy

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Medical Technology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• The use of lasers and light devices for dermatologic conditions is increasing.
• Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are essential for evaluating treatment efficacy and patient satisfaction.
• PROs can identify patient values, risks, benefits, and barriers to treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the use of PROs in laser and light treatment protocols.
• To improve patient care and satisfaction with dermatologic treatments.
• To identify and review dermatology PRO measures (PROMs) used in clinical studies.

Main Methods:

• Review of published clinical studies utilizing laser and light therapy.
• Assessment of PRO measures (PROMs) for dermatologic conditions.
• Analysis of PROs' role in patient-centered treatment planning.

Main Results:

• PROs are vital for evaluating clinical efficacy and patient satisfaction in laser and light therapies.
• PROs help in understanding patient values, risks, benefits, and barriers to treatment.
• Specific PROMs like DLQI, Skindex, and FACE-Q are utilized in laser and light studies.

Conclusions:

• Integrating PROs into laser and light treatment protocols enhances patient care and satisfaction.
• PROs aid in overcoming individual and population-level barriers to dermatologic treatment.
• Selecting appropriate PROMs based on study aims is critical for high-quality data collection.