Montreal Accord on Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) use series - Paper 5: patient-reported outcomes can be linked to epidemiologic measures to monitor populations and inform public health decisions

Patient-reported outcome measures can help to identify community health needs in public health topics including injury, chronic disease, and communicable disease. They are currently collected in major national surveys in Canada, while electronic medical records, personal health records, and online patient communities could facilitate rapid and cost-effective collection of population-based data. Their effective use requires well-validated measurements and consideration to the factors affecting validity and reproducibility and the modes of administering questionnaires. Methodologically, relevant public health application of patient-reported outcome measures includes analysis assessing measurement comparability across sociodemographically and clinically diverse population and the influence of physical and social environment. Research is needed to develop and apply analytical methods, harmonize patient-reported outcome measures across data sources and health jurisdictions, and link these measures to traditional epidemiologic indicators. Achieving these goals will benefit from collaboration among governmental agencies and expert groups.