Educational Targets for Patient-Reported Outcomes and Caregiver-Reported Outcomes in Psycho-oncology Research

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and caregiver-reported outcomes (CROs) are tools for evaluating behavioral medicine interventions and for bringing the patient voice into observational research. This study aimed to identify barriers to using PROs/CROs in behavioral cancer research and to equitably address those barriers. Forty-nine members of a cancer special interest group from a research society completed surveys in early 2023 about needs related to the use of PROs and CROs. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results. Most participants used PROs (n = 34, 69%) but few frequently used CROs (n = 12, 24%). More than 80% of the sample were familiar with common PRO/CRO properties such as reliability and validity. Participants reported considering a wide variety of population characteristics when using PROs and CROs, including language (n = 31, 70%) and education level (n = 31, 70%). The most common barriers to using PROs/CROs in research were time, funding, and technology with many reflecting potential reasons for inequitable representation of certain groups in research. Webinars were the most preferred educational format (n = 38, 78%) for resources related to PROs/CROs. Many participants encountered barriers to using PROs in research. Creation and dissemination of educational resources to promote equitable use of PROs/CROs across underrepresented groups and overcome common barriers to use of these measurement tools are warranted.