Patient reported outcome measures (also known as “PROMs”), are tools used to capture patient’s experiences (before, during, after treatment). They can help describe what is happening or how the patient is being impacted according to them.
As a Speech Language Pathologist who specializes in adult neurorehabilitation, I love PROMS and I always attempt to use one with each new evaluation I complete. PROMs provide me with extremely valuable information AND they can really help patients start to build a therapeutic alliance with me. PROMs provide us with the opportunity to look at the BIG PICTURE together with patients.
- What specific concerns does the patient have?
- In what ways is the patient “falling short” in their daily life?
- What is the frequency of patient errors?
- How hard does the patient perceive certain tasks to be?
- What has been the patient’s recent experiences with XYZ?
- What has the patient tried so far to resolve issues?
Many of these questions can be answered with good motivational interviewing, but PROMs gives us quantifiable subjective data.... data we can track over time, use to support justification for therapy, use to determine patient satisfaction.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know the MMQ (Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire) is one of my favorite PROMS for my caseload/setting. I work in an Outpatient TBI Clinic with a caseload made up of a lot of cognitive communication disorders). The most common complaint of my patients is “I can’t remember stuff”. I love the MMQ because it's FREE, easy to download and score, and again it give me valuable, specific, quantifiable information that I can track over time and use to plan next steps with the patient.
Of course, if a patient doesn't have memory complaints, this wouldn't be an appropriate PROM to administer. Selecting the best PROM that gets you the information you need in an evaluation is important. See the list below of PROMs that can be used for different cognitive communication areas:
Memory:
MMQ (Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire)
Everyday Memory Questionnaire
Attention:
Mindful Attention & Awareness Scale (MAAS)
Attention Processing Training -2 Rating Scale
Attention Control Scale
Moss Attention Rating Scale *based on clinician observation
Executive Functioning
Executive Skills Profile by Peg Dawson & Richard Guare
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function- Adult Version (BRIEF-A)
Communication
Communication Participation Item Bank (CBIP)
LaTrobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ)
I'm curious......what are some of your favorite PROMs? Let me know in the comments below!
And as always, have some great therapy sessions!
-Dana (The Neuro SLP)
Relevant Research:
Angela K. Troyer, Larry Leach, Susan Vandermorris & Jill B. Rich (2019) The measurement of participant-reported memory across diverse populations and settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire, Memory, 27:7, 931-942
Cohen ML, Hula WD. Patient-Reported Outcomes and Evidence-Based Practice in Speech-Language Pathology. Am J Speech Lang Pathology. 2020 Feb 7;29(1):357-370.
Troyer, A. K., & Rich, J. B. (2002). Psychometric properties of a new metamemory questionnaire for older adults. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 57(1), P19–P27
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