Which Factors Influence the Use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Dutch Physiotherapy Practice? A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have the potential to enhance the quality of health care but, as a result of suboptimal implementation, it is unclear whether they fulfil this role in physiotherapy practice. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the factors influencing PROM use in Dutch private physiotherapy practices. Method: A total of 444 physiotherapists completed a self-assessment questionnaire and uploaded the data from their electronic health record (EHR) systems to the national registry of outcome data. Univariate and multivariate ordinal logistic and linear regression analysis were used to identify the factors associated with self-reported PROM use and PROM use registered in the EHR systems, which were derived from the self-assessment questionnaire and from the data in the national registry, respectively. Five categories with nine independent variables were selected as potential factors for regression analysis. The similarity between self-reported and registered PROM use was verified. Results: On the basis of self-report and EHR report, we found that 21.6% and 29.8% of participants, respectively, used PROMs with more than 80% of their patients, and we identified the factors associated with PROM use. Conclusions: The factors associated with PROM use are EHR systems that support PROM use and more knowledge about PROM use. These findings can guide future strategies to enhance the use of PROMs in physiotherapy practice.