How do patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) support clinician-patient communication and patient care? A realist synthesis

Summary

In this paper, published in Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, authors report the findings of a realist synthesis that aimed to understand how and in what circumstances patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) support patient-clinician communication and subsequent care processes and outcomes in clinical care.

They tested two overarching programme theories:

1. PROMs completion prompts a process of self-reflection and supports patients to raise issues with clinicians.
2. PROMs scores raise clinicians’ awareness of patients’ problems and prompts discussion and action.

They examined how the structure of the PROM and care context shaped the ways in which PROMs support clinician-patient communication and subsequent care processes.