The use of patient-reported outcome research in modern ophthalmology: impact on clinical trials and routine clinical practice

Tasanee Braithwaite, Melanie Calvert, Alastair Gray, Konrad Pesudovs, Alastair Denniston
2019 Patient Related Outcome Measures  
This review article considers the rising demand for patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in modern ophthalmic research and clinical practice. We review what PROMs are, how they are developed and chosen for use, and how their quality can be critically appraised. We outline the progress made to develop PROMs in each clinical subspecialty. We highlight recent examples of the use of PROMs as secondary outcome measures in randomized controlled clinical trials and consider the impact they have
more » ... d. With increasing interest in using PROMs as primary outcome measures, particularly where interventions have been found to be of equivalent efficacy by traditional outcome metrics, we highlight the importance of instrument precision in permitting smaller sample sizes to be recruited. Our review finds that while there has been considerable progress in PROM development, particularly in cataract, glaucoma, medical retina, and low vision, there is a paucity of useful tools for less common ophthalmic conditions. Development and validation of item banks, administered using computer adaptive testing, has been proposed as a solution to overcome many of the traditional limitations of PROMs, but further work will be needed to examine their acceptability to patients, clinicians, and investigators.
doi:10.2147/prom.s162802 pmid:30774489 pmcid:PMC6352858 fatcat:3jopyhntgnae5diww5s6owh2gy