Pilot B: Real-time collection of PROMs and PREMs

How can real-time collection of PROMs and PREMs improve cancer care?

Clinical collection and use of PROMs and PREMs will benefit both patients and their health providers. The ‘real-time’ feedback provided to health professionals about the clinical and supportive care needs of their patients will enable them to address those needs as they arise. This addresses the known discordance between what patients report to their doctors and how they experience cancer treatment. Evidence demonstrates that collecting patient-reported experience and outcome data improves patients’ overall wellbeing and has a positive impact on their treatment outcomes.

A growing data bank of aggregated PROMs and PREMs offers opportunities for data linkage projects to deliver patient-centred, precision care. Future implementation plans include a multilingual system to be installed in outpatient clinics and chemotherapy day units, with the capacity for linkage to appropriate supportive care services.

MPCCC has collaborated with Cancer Care Ontario, Canada, to develop a pilot model of real-time PROMs and PREMs collection in a clinical setting. The project team began by developing a tailored PROMs and PREMs questionnaire in mid-2019, which patients complete in the waiting room before their clinical appointment. This process is already the standard of care in Canada.

The pilot began at Monash Health’s Berwick cancer clinic in December 2019, and thus far 50-60% of patients have chosen to complete the questionnaire in the waiting room, which is comparable to the uptake rate in Canada. The time taken for patient appointments has not increased, which was a key concern prior to the commencement of the pilot. The project team will continue conducting their feasibility study throughout 2020, assessing the clinical impact of collecting real-time PROMs and PREMs and identifying barriers to its implementation. The team aims to develop a model that can be implemented across other MPCCC health services.

Contact

For more information about this pilot, contact Alastair Kwok on alaistar.kwok@monash.edu or (03) 8572 2390.