Feasibility of implementing an electronic patient-reported outcome measure in an acute brain injury population: A prospective cohort study

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are valuable tools for evaluating health-related quality of life and treatment efficacy in individuals with acute brain injury. PROMs are valuable tools for evaluating health-related quality of life and treatment efficacy following acute brain injury. Advances in technology have facilitated the migration of these tools to electronic formats. The feasibility of implementing electronic PROMs in an acute brain injury population has not been previously described.

The aim of this study was to describe the feasibility of implementing an electronic PROM in patients with acute brain injury by (i) determining response rates; (ii) comparing characteristics of responders and nonresponder; (iii) measuring completion times; (iv) assessing the proportion of incomplete responses; and (v) analysing participant feedback.

Between August 2021 and December 2023, adult patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage or traumatic brain injury enrolled in an existing prospective data registry were invited to participate in this study. Following routine telephone-based outcome assessment using a functional outcome measure, participants were asked to complete an electronic PROM developed from the Subarachnoid Haemorrhage Outcome Tool.

Of the 285 patients who consented to participate, 198 completed the electronic PROM, yielding a response rate of 69%. A significantly higher proportion of subarachnoid haemorrhage participants responded (76%, n = 133/176) than traumatic brain injury participants (60%, N = 65/109, p = 0.005). Incomplete surveys were submitted by 2.5% (n = 5/198) of participants. The median survey completion time was 6 min (interquartile range: 4-11). Most respondents rated the survey as either "very easy" or "somewhat easy" to use (89%, n = 177/198). Compared to telephone-based outcome assessment, 89% (n = 177/198) of respondents found the electronic survey to be "much better", "better", or "about the same".

The implementation of an electronic PROM in an acute brain injury population was shown to be feasible, as evidenced by a high response rate, short completion time, and minimal incomplete surveys. Participants also provided positive feedback regarding electronic outcome reporting.