There is nothing like the personal touch and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can actually improve the patient experience in addition to providing valuable data to orthopedic care givers.
Researchers from New York have assessed all patient visits to an orthopedic surgery clinic at a single academic medical center between February 2015 and September 2016.
Their work, “Patient‐reported outcomes use during orthopaedic surgery clinic visits improves the patient experience,” appears in the January 7, 2019 edition of Musculoskeletal Care.
David Bernstein, M.B.A., M.E.I. with the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York and co-author on the study explained his rationale for embarking on this study of PROMIS to OTW, “My educational background reflects my interest and experience in health services research focused on value-based healthcare. Using PROMs, such as PROMIS [Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System], I’ve found, helps to put the patient in the driver’s seat.”
“Under the excellent mentorship of Drs. Baumhauer, Hammert, Mesfin, and Rubery I was able to pursue answers to important research questions. While previous studies of PROMs focused on improved surgical candidate selection and outcome predictability, we wanted to determine the extent to which PROMs may improve the overall care relationship between the patient and surgeon by analyzing patient satisfaction.”
“There are two results to highlight. First, operationalizing and implementing a program that collects patient-reported outcomes, such as ours at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is not a patient dissatisfier. Patients didn’t feel burdened by completing the PROMIS assessments using CAT [computer adaptive test] tools and item response theory methodology (i.e., ‘smart’ testing).”
“Secondly, sharing the PROMIS data with the patient engages the patient and enhances the treatment discussion. Patients feel the provider is individualizing their care by using their personal symptom data in clinical decision-making.”
“There is notable value in implementing a system to collect routine PROMs and using the results as part of clinical practice. PROMs do not only assist surgeons in evaluating patients for operative and nonoperative treatments by assessing improvement through the outcomes that matter most to patients but also improves the patient experience, which has been included in a handful of reimbursement formulas.”
