Incorporating Patient-Reported Outcomes as a Vital Sign for Dermatologic Clinical Care and Clinical Investigations

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Health Outcomes Research
• Digital Health

Background:

• Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) offer comprehensive insights into skin disease experiences.
• PRO data often provide more detail than clinical history or examination alone.
• PROs are essential for understanding symptom intensity and impact on quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the complementary nature of PROs and clinician assessments in dermatology.
• To advocate for the integration of PROs as essential "skin vital signs" in clinical practice.
• To propose a roadmap for advancing PRO research towards routine clinical implementation.

Main Methods:

• The study is a conceptual and literature review based analysis.
• It synthesizes existing knowledge on the utility and application of PROs in dermatology.
• It discusses the poor to moderate correlation between PROs and traditional clinical assessments.

Main Results:

• PROs and clinician assessments provide non-redundant, complementary data.
• PROs can serve as baseline measures for monitoring treatment response and side effects.
• Abnormal or unexpected PROs are highly informative for clinical decision-making.

Conclusions:

• PROs should be considered "skin vital signs" in dermatological care.
• Establishing guidelines is necessary to transition PROs from research to routine clinical use.
• Further research is needed to facilitate the widespread adoption of PROs in dermatology.