Reducing the pressures of outpatient care: the potential role of patient-reported outcomes

Olalekan Lee Aiyegbusi*, Sarah Hughes, John Devin Peipert, Liv Schougaard, Roger Wilson, Melanie Calvert

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

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Abstract

The global demand for hospital treatment exceeds capacity.The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue, leading to increased backlogs and longer wait times for patients. The amount of outpatient attendances undertaken in many settings is still below pre-pandemic levels and this, combined with delayed referrals, means that patients are facing delays in treatment and poorer health outcomes. Use of digital health technologies, notably the use of remote symptom monitoring systems based on patient-reported outcomes (PROs), may offer a solution to reduce outpatient waiting lists and tailor care to those in greatest need. Drawing on international examples, the authors explore the use of electronic PRO systems to triage clinical care. We summarise the key benefits of the approach and also highlight the challenges for implementation, which need to be addressed to promote equitable healthcare delivery.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)44-64
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of the Royal Society of Medicine
Volume116
Issue number2
Early online date9 Feb 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2023

Keywords

  • Effectiveness of care
  • Patient-reported outcomes
  • Review
  • ePROs
  • long-term care
  • outpatient care
  • quality improvement

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