Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Neurologic Communication Disorders: An Update

Abstract

In her seminal book on outcome measurement in the field of communication disorders, Carol Frattali (1998) set the path for outcomes research and clinical application in the field of speech-language pathology. In particular, she defined the many possible outcomes that can be measured to examine the influence of an intervention and the ways in which these measures can inform public policy. Of these, patient or client centered measures, which index outcome based on the patient's and family's or caregiver's perspective, have received increasing attention in recent research and clinical practice. These measures examine a variety of patient reported outcomes (PRO) associated with health. PRO measures are being used more commonly in clinical practice and as end points in medical and rehabilitation outcomes research. This perspective reflects the shift in medicine and rehabilitation toward patient-centered care. In this article, we will examine the rationale for using PRO measures, the advantages and challenges for using these tools, and current use of PRO measures in neurological communication disorders.