Patient-reported outcome measures improve survival risk and quality of life for cancer patients, according to a study published Aug. 13 in JAMA Network Open.
PROMs are self-reported statements from patients that are not influenced by clinical interpretation; they focus on symptom frequency and severity.
Canadian researchers reviewed 13,661 patients from 45 randomized clinical trials between 1996 and 2022. The researchers evaluated PROMs' effect on patient survival, quality of life, emergency department visits and hospital admissions, the study authors said.
Patients in PROM-integrated trials had a 16% lower risk of mortality. A higher quality of life was reported by patients across multiple trials in the study. Emergency department visits and hospital admissions were not affected by the use of PROMs.
"There is an important role for PROM integration, specifically patient-reported symptoms into oncology care," the study's authors wrote.
Read the full study results here.