EORTC E-Learning

Selection of PROMs for clinical practice

Facilitation of the selection process

When selecting PROMs, it is preferable to assign one person to coordinate the process. Consider also seeking support, e.g. at your institution or from experts/units using PROMs.

To maximise relevance and acceptance, involve HCPs and other relevant groups (e.g. decision makers, administration, patient advocates).

Coordinator tasks may include:

  • identifying patient/team-relevant issues not captured in current documentation
  • building consensus with clinical staff on which outcomes should be assessed
  • finding and agreeing on suitable PROMs that meet the predefined needs 

To decide on which issues to assess, you can also have a look at core outcome sets (COS). COS are standardised, evidence- or consensus-based, disease-specific minimum outcome sets for trials and often routine care/audits. They help PROM selection by specifying relevant outcomes that PROMs can capture and sometimes even suggest the PROs/PROMs to use.