The Missing Link: The Importance of Patient-Reported Outcomes on Effective Clinical Decision Making

Rather than relying on a third-party view from a doctor or nurse, patient-reported outcomes provide a real-world assessment of healthcare’s effectiveness from those experiencing it firsthand. When doctors and insurers want to evaluate a patient’s health status, they typically use objective and broad measures, such as laboratory and vital sign measures like blood pressure or hemoglobin A1c, utilization of healthcare resources such as hospital admissions and emergency room visits, and the number and types of medications a patient is taking. While these are good indicators, one important factor has been missing for far too long: the patients’ view of their own health and well-being.

In the transition to value-based care, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have become a vital component. Rather than relying on a third-party view from a doctor or nurse, PROs provide a real-world assessment of healthcare’s effectiveness from those experiencing it firsthand. The additional information gathered gives providers a deeper understanding of the patient’s needs, which in turn, results in more personalized care and greater efficiency within a practice.