A review by the Centre for Patient-Reported Outcomes Research and the Institute of Applied Health Research at the University of Birmingham found that digital systems for patients to report symptoms remotely may reduce outpatient waiting lists.
Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome (ePRO) systems allow patients to fill out questionnaires and have the results sent back to clinicians in real-time to use in clinical decision-making. In Denmark, Ambuflex, a generic ePRO system, outpatient management of patients across several chronic conditions led to substantial reductions in outpatient appointments.
The authors suggest that using ePROs in outpatient care could potentially enhance the cost-effectiveness of healthcare delivery, reduce demand for clinic appointments, and improve outcomes, but caution that not all patients, especially the elderly, may prefer face-to-face consultations and may be averse to using ePROs.
Ref: Aiyegbusi, O. L., Hughes, S. E., Peipert, J. D., Schougaard, L. M. V., Wilson, R., & Calvert, M. J. (2023, February 9). Reducing the pressures of outpatient care: the potential role of patient-reported outcomes. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 014107682311522. https://doi.org/10.1177/01410768231152222
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