Leads: Mrs Sarah Hughes, Dr Olalekan Lee Aiyegbusi, Prof Mel Calvert (Long-term Conditions), Prof Robin Miller (Social Care)

The team are working closely with a patient partner, an expert by experience, who is a member of the project management group.

Dates: April 2021 - December 2021

Background:

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) assess a person’s views of their health including symptoms, functioning and quality of life. PROMs are used increasingly in clinical practice to promote better disease management, more patient-centred care, and more efficient use of resources. They are used to support conversations around care planning and decision-making and have been found to help patients reflect on their health and develop a deeper understanding of how their condition affects them. PROMs have been found to empower patients, helping them to initiate conversations with healthcare professionals about the health-related issues they consider relevant and important. Evidence suggests that patients who use PROMs experience better outcomes. There is a growing body of literature describing the implementation of PROMs in healthcare settings; however, the use of PROMs to support people who use adult social care services is not well understood.

Policy and Practice Partners:

Partners include public contributors with lived experience and representatives of local government and third sector organisations.

Co-Funding Partners:

Birmingham City Council.

Aims and Objectives:

The aim of the study is to understand the current use of PROMs in adult social care, barriers and facilitators, and potential future uses of PROMs from the perspective of key stakeholders. By examining how different stakeholders perceive and use PROMs, the project also aims to use this evidence to inform policy, practice and future research.

Methods:

The proposed study is a companion study to a scoping review that is currently underway to describe the current research base on the use of PROMs in adult social care. The study is a sequential, mixed-methods design. We will conduct a cross-sectional survey and one-to-one and group interviews with stakeholders, including people with care and support needs, their family members, paid carers/support workers, care home staff, and health and social care practitioners (e.g., social workers, managers, GPs, nursing and allied health professionals). We will explore themes identified in the scoping review and investigate stakeholders’ views, understanding, and experiences of using PROMs in adult social care including how PROMs could be optimised for use.

Main Results:

The scoping review findings will inform the survey design and interview guide content. This study is currently in the planning/set-up phase with an estimated start date of April 2021.

Conclusion:

Awaiting.

Implications for Implementation:

The findings from this project will feed into future research projects and inform the development of practical guidance and support on the implementation of PROs in social care.