Description of research
The number of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) has grown in the last few years. PROMs are questionnaires developed to accurately measure patients’ opinions about their health after an illness or during treatment. PROMs are used in both stroke research and routine stroke care.
However, there is little evidence to understand which factors (age, type of stroke etc) might hinder someone being able to complete a PROM. Without new research into these factors, many stroke survivors might be excluded from voicing their opinions about their health and the effect of treatment on their health.
Aim of the research
To understand which factors affect peoples’ ability to complete patient-reported outcome measures after a stroke.
What will happen in the research?
A linked four-part programme of work is proposed to explore the emotional, mental, physical and economic factors associated with the ability to complete PROMs post-stroke:
- A review of current stroke research, exploring the wider factors which can influence the success of PROMs for stroke survivors and healthcare professionals.
- Analysis of previous stroke research data that used PROMs as an outcome in order to create a model of factors found to affect the ability to complete PROMs.
- This two-phase study will assess stroke survivors’ abilities to complete an existing PROM, then develop an accessible version of the PROM. The accessible version will be designed to make it easier to complete for the people who were unable to complete the original PROM. The study will then assess if the accessible PROM is easier to complete when compared to the original PROM.
- Interviews with participants about their feelings and opinions on PROMs and the barriers to completing them.
What are the expected outcomes of the research?
The programmes of work will provide evidence about which factors are related to the ability to complete PROMs post-stroke, which can be used by charities, the government and stroke specialists.