Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)

Patient reported data (PROMs) is the "new wine" in clinical research. It is not really new, but increased focus on the patient-reported outcomes has gained increased interest from both the point of decision-makers as well as the public itself. Doctors used to make decisions based on the risk-benefit ratio of morbidity/mortality to the gains in health intervention (and off course, still do) but now comes the added value of information obtained from the patient itself. Indeed, it might be so that patients evaluate and appreciate certain risks and benefits different than the doctor, and then this should be incorporated into the decision making process.

From Søreide & Søreide, Frontiers Oncology 2013.

We have currently published to papers dealing with PROMs. One is a perspectives article published in Frontiers in Surgical Oncology (To view the online publication, please click here: article).

Using patient-reported outcome measures for improved decision-making in patients with gastrointestinal cancer – the last clinical frontier in surgical oncology?
Kjetil Søreide^1,2* and Annbjørg H. Søreide³


Front. Oncol. 3:157. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2013.00157


The other one is an article investigating PROMs in patients undergoing ERCP. In short, although a high number of patients experienced pain during the procedure, the vast majority were satisfied with the procedure and treatment. However, the findings gives reason to investigate how sedation procedures can be optimized during ERCP. The abstract can be found at (abstract).


Patient-reported outcome measures after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: a prospective, multicentre study.Glomsaker TB, Hoff G, Kvaløy JT, Søreide K, Aabakken L, Søreide JA; On behalf of the Norwegian Gastronet ERCP group.
Scand J Gastroenterol. 2013 May 31. [Epub ahead of print]