Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
Proxy reporting in health: a scoping review of instructions, perspectives, and reporting experiences
Henok Dagne1,2, Kathleen Doherty3, Julie Campbell4
1Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia. henok.dagne@utas.edu.au.
Background:
Informal carers ('proxies'), who typically provide unpaid care and have a personal relationship with the care recipient, are often asked to report on the health of individuals who are unable to self-report. However, this task is not without its challenges. Little is known about how proxies approach this task, which poses challenges for optimal questionnaire design.
Purpose:
The review had three aims: (1) to identify the questionnaire perspective instructions provided to proxies i.e., whether the proxy was asked to answer from their own (proxy-proxy) or the person's (proxy-patient) perspective when reporting, (2) identify which perspective instruction the proxies followed, if reported, and (3) what information, if any, was captured about the proxy's experience of reporting about someone else. In the proxy-proxy perspective, proxies report from their own perspective, but in the proxy-patient perspective they report from the perspective of the person living with the condition.
Methods:
A systematic search was conducted across Medline, Psych Info, CINAHL, and Embase. Only published articles meeting the criteria of informal carers providing proxy reports for adults were considered.
Results:
Of 5816 publications, 60 articles were eligible for full-text review, and 12 were included for data extraction. Instructions varied, with proxies asked to adopt both proxy-proxy and proxy-patient perspectives in eight studies and only the proxy-patient in four of them. Whether proxies followed the provided instructions consistently is not known. Proxies' reporting experiences were not reported in the included studies.
Conclusion:
Proxies are provided with different perspective instructions, but proxy adherence to instructions is not known. Additionally, proxy reporting experience was not described. Providing clear instructions, evaulating proxy adherence to instructions and collecting proxies' reporting experiences can inform optimal questionnaire design to help proxies better report about the health of others.
Review Registration:
Registered at open science framework: https://osf.io/j4t87 .
More Related Videos
06:05The Participant-Reported Implementation Update and Score (PRIUS): A Novel Method for Capturing Implementation-Related Data Over Time
Published on: February 19, 2021
13:44Project-Based Learning Guidelines for Health Sciences Students: An Analysis with Data Mining and Qualitative Techniques
Published on: December 9, 2022
Related Concept Videos
01:29SBAR I: Understanding the Concept
Standardized methods of communication have been developed to ensure that information is...
01:24Data Reporting and Recording
01:20Introduction to Documentation and Reporting
Nursing documentation records essential information and details regarding a patient's care and treatment in written or electronic form. It is a critical aspect of nursing practice that involves documenting assessments, interventions, outcomes, and other relevant details about a patient's health status.
Documentation maps the patient's health journey by creating a comprehensive...
01:25Types of Reports I: Hands-off Report
Following are the key components and categories of hand-off reports:
Purpose and Process:
01:21Types of Reports II: Incident or Occurrence Report
Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...
01:26Types of Reports III: Telephone and Verbal Reports
Here's an overview of each type:
Telephone Orders