A recent trial published in Nature Medicine revealed that tracking patient-reported symptoms during cancer treatment enhances overall patient care and quality of life. Conducted across 52 oncology practices, the study involved 1,191 patients with metastatic cancer, who were monitored using weekly symptom surveys. The results showed that those who reported symptoms experienced fewer emergency visits, improved physical function, and felt more in control of their care. While overall survival rates remained unchanged, the benefits included enhanced communication with care teams and improved healthcare utilization, highlighting the potential of patient-reported outcomes in oncology.
There are several prior studies, from the U.S., Canada, and France, that have shown how the routine use of patient-reported symptoms in oncology practice can improve quality of life, reduce costly healthcare utilization such as hospitalization, emergency department visits and unscheduled office visits.
Among the 1,191 enrolled patients, those in the reporting group experienced a delayed time to first emergency visit and fewer emergency visits at 12 months.
More than 70 percent of study participants said they believed the patient-reported outcomes improved discussions with their care team.
These findings suggest that symptom monitoring with patient-reported outcomes may improve the overall quality of cancer care, Cella said.
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