Patient-centered outcomes

Patient-centered outcomes refer to the results of healthcare that are directly important and meaningful to patients. These outcomes include aspects such as survival, function, symptoms, and health-related quality of life. Patient-centered outcomes are a key aspect of patient-centered care, which emphasizes the patient's needs, preferences, and values in the decision-making process.

Definition

The term "patient-centered outcomes" is often used interchangeably with "patient-reported outcomes" (PROs). However, while PROs are a subset of patient-centered outcomes, not all patient-centered outcomes are PROs. For example, survival and objective measures of function are patient-centered outcomes that are not typically reported by patients.

Importance

Patient-centered outcomes are important for several reasons. First, they provide a direct measure of the impact of disease and treatment on patients' lives. Second, they can help to inform shared decision-making between patients and healthcare providers. Third, they can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of healthcare interventions from the patient's perspective.

Measurement

Patient-centered outcomes can be measured using a variety of methods, including patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), clinical assessments, and objective measures. PROMs are questionnaires that patients complete to provide information about their symptoms, functional status, and health-related quality of life. Clinical assessments can include measures of physical function, cognitive function, and other aspects of health. Objective measures can include laboratory tests, imaging studies, and other diagnostic tests.

Challenges

There are several challenges associated with the measurement of patient-centered outcomes. These include the need for valid and reliable measures, the potential for response bias, and the difficulty of interpreting changes in these outcomes. In addition, there can be challenges in integrating these measures into routine clinical practice and in using these measures to inform healthcare decision-making.

Future Directions

Future directions for research on patient-centered outcomes include the development of new measures, the validation of existing measures, and the exploration of new methods for integrating these measures into clinical practice and healthcare decision-making. In addition, there is a need for more research on the use of patient-centered outcomes in specific populations, such as older adults, people with multiple chronic conditions, and people with rare diseases.

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