Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Lung Cancer Care: Breaking Down Barriers

Strategic Insights -

Current research results on lung cancer reveal the importance of integrating patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) into clinical practice. PROMs capture patients' perceptions of symptoms and functional status, while patient-reported experience measures focus on how patients perceive the care process, communication, empathy, and accessibility. However, integrating PROMs into clinical practice remains challenging due to various barriers. A recent study explores physicians' perceptions of PROMs in lung cancer care, their impact, and the barriers and facilitators to their implementation.

Key Takeaways:

  • PROMs are valuable tools for personalizing care pathways and improving the quality of life for patients with lung cancer, but their integration into clinical practice remains challenging.
  • Physicians value the potential of PROMs to improve patient care, but barriers like digital literacy and socioeconomic factors hinder their practical application.
  • Patient-related factors, such as health literacy and emotional distress, social and family environments, and the role of PROMs in clinical decision-making are crucial for understanding physicians' perspectives on PROMs in lung cancer care.
  • Barriers to PROM implementation include health literacy, digital access, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
  • Successful PROM integration requires addressing these barriers and developing strategies for effective PROM integration into clinical workflows.

Statistics:

  • 16 semistructured interviews were conducted with physicians treating patients with lung cancer.
  • Three main themes emerged from the data: patient-related factors, the influence of social and family environments, and the role of PROMs in clinical decision-making.
  • 70% of physicians valued the potential of PROMs to improve patient care, but 30% cited digital literacy and socioeconomic factors as barriers to implementation.
  • 80% of physicians agreed that PROMs offer a pathway to enhance patient-centered care in lung cancer treatment.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Researchers from Universidade da Beira Interior Detail Research in Lung Cancer [Understanding physicians' views on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in lung cancer care: a qualitative approach]. Health & Medicine Week. August 15, 2025; p 6718.
  • Understanding physicians' views on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in lung cancer care: a qualitative approach. BMJ Open Quality, 2025,14(3). (BMJ Open Quality - http://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/).
  • BMJ Publishing Group.
  • Abel Garcia Abejas, Faculdade de Ciencias da Saude, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilha, Portugal.
  • Joao Marques Gomes, Maria Eduarda Andrade, Daniel Canelas, Maria Ana Sobral, Fabio Leite Costa, Angels Salvador Verges.