Enhancing patient-reported outcomes in stroke care: a path to improved well-being

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Traditional stroke outcome measures like the modified Rankin Scale may miss crucial patient experiences.
• Stroke survivors often report diverse physical, emotional, and social symptoms impacting quality of life, even with similar clinician scores.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the evolving role of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in stroke care.
• To highlight how PROs can guide personalized treatment strategies and reveal clinical differences among patients.
• To discuss challenges and potential solutions for implementing PROs in clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Commentary synthesizing current understanding of PROs in stroke care.
• Presentation of clinical cases illustrating the utility of PROs.
• Discussion of implementation barriers and facilitators.

Main Results:

• PROs capture a broader spectrum of post-stroke symptoms than traditional measures.
• PROs can differentiate between patients with similar clinician-reported scores, revealing unmet needs.
• Implementation challenges include time constraints and symptom complexity, but solutions like specialized clinics and digital health exist.

Conclusions:

• Patient-reported outcomes are essential for a comprehensive understanding of stroke recovery.
• Integrating PROs can lead to more personalized and effective stroke care strategies.
• Addressing implementation barriers is key to maximizing the benefits of PROs for stroke survivors.