Include Patients, Improve Outcomes
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INCLUDE PATIENTS, IMPROVE OUTCOMES
The impact of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) on improving quality is a recent but rapidly advancing story.
How we got here
At the 2017 ASCO annual meeting, Ethan Basch, M.D. demonstrated that a cohort of patients in a PRO intervention arm extended survival by 5 months versus control. The same cohort reported higher quality of life measures, saw fewer hospitalizations and ER visits, and stayed on therapy longer. Not surprisingly, these results were received with enthusiasm. Other ASCO clinical presentations for therapeutic options fell short of the 5-month survival proven by PROs.
Simplicity prevails
People and organizations invested in revamping the oncology care delivery system were reassured to see that a simple PRO intervention could have dramatic economic impact. In 2019, Dr. Basch’s quest to collect PROs in routine practice landed him a clinical research award from the Association of Community Cancer Centers. The influence of patients on quality outcomes has motivated practices across the country to consider PROs as a critical value measure.
Bringing PROs to practice
Organizations have already found creative ways to capture and analyze PROs.
1The Wellspan Health System in Georgia developed a proprietary app for radiation oncology patients, which includes:
Appointment reminders
Disease education resources
Symptom (adverse events) tracking — and prompts the patient to contact the physician if certain symptoms arise
Together, these capabilities have the potential to prevent unnecessary ER visits and improve patient adherence. Plus, in an effort to reduce the anxiety that accompanies the start of a cancer journey, the Wellspan app has been used prospectively to educate and reassure patients prior to initial consultations.
2The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has also created a PRO app, which features a tool for tracking symptoms and side effects for patients with blood cancers — the core of any PRO model — but includes a variety of ancillary care tools as well. These add-ons touch everything from nutrition, and hydration concerns to appointment reminders. What’s more, the app grants access to caregivers to allow patients to share and track progress with the people they rely on.
Next steps
As time moves on, PROs will continue to expand their reach. In fact, CMMI has made PRO integration a fundamental tenet of the updated Oncology Care Model (OCM) program.
Ancillary staff will play an important role in capturing and analyzing PRO data, as patients tend to confide in nurses more readily than physicians. Healthcare technology will be a conduit connecting care to PROs.
PROs will become a core part of patient support services provided by both payers and manufacturers. How can we help you find your way in to transforming PROs into product value?
