How to decide which patient-reported outcome measure to use? A practical guide for plastic surgeons

Publication date: Available online 28 March 2018
Source:Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
Author(s): Thomas Dobbs, Sarah Hughes, Nicholas Mowbray, Hayley A. Hutchings, Iain S. Whitaker
The use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) is rising across all medical specialties as their importance to patient care is validated. They are likely to play a particularly important role in plastic and reconstructive surgery where outcomes are often subjective, and the recent guidance from the Royal College of Surgeons of England advising their use in cosmetic surgery highlight this. In order to drive their routine use across our specialty it is important that clinicians are able to understand the often complex and confusing language that surrounds their design and validation. In this article we describe the process of PROM design and validation, and attempt to 'demystify' the language used in the health outcome literature. We present the important steps that a well-designed PROM must go through and suggest a straightforward guide for selecting the most appropriate PROMs for use in clinical practice. We hope that this will encourage greater use of PROM data across plastic and reconstructive surgery and ultimately help improve outcomes for our patients.