Patient Reported Outcome Measurement (PROM) under real-life conditions of non-curable cancer outpatients with the...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Palliative Care
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Longitudinal patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) is crucial for managing non-curable cancers.
• The Integrated Palliative Outcome Scale (IPOS) and NCCN Distress Thermometer (DT) are key PROMs.
• Feasibility of these PROMs in real-world outpatient settings needs evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the real-life feasibility of longitudinal PROM (IPOS and DT) for non-curable lung and prostate cancer outpatients.
• To analyze patient distress response following PROM assessment.
• To explore the user experience of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) with PROMs.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study over 15 months.
• Paper-based IPOS and DT assessments.
• Analysis of distress response and focus groups for user experience.

Main Results:

• High patient acceptance of PROMs; IPOS demonstrated better content validity than DT due to patient understanding.
• Quarterly assessments were achieved in only 50% (prostate) and 31% (lung) of patients.
• Organizational issues limited referrals to supportive/palliative services despite identified distress.

Conclusions:

• PROMs should be integrated as standardized interventions, not just assessments, to drive action.
• Patient perspectives are vital for successful PROM implementation in clinical practice.