Patient experiences with patient-reported outcome measures: an interview study of patients undergoing total hip- and knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND: Internationally, patient-reported outcome measures are increasingly applied in clinical settings to patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). Current literature does not provide an understanding of the patient experience with these tools, as remarkably few studies are published investigating patient perspectives on completing PROMs. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate patient experiences, perspectives, and understanding with usage of PROMs for total hip and total knee arthroplasty in a Danish orthopedic clinic.

METHODS: Patients who were scheduled for, or recently had, a THA or TKA for primary osteoarthritis were recruited to participate in individual interviews, which were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The analysis was based on qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS: In total, 33 adult patients (18 female) were interviewed. Average age was 70.15 (range 52-86). The following themes were derived from the analysis: a) motivation and demotivation for completion, b) to complete a PROM questionnaire, c) environment for completion, and d) suggestions for use of PROMs.

CONCLUSION: The majority of participants scheduled for TKA/THA were not fully aware of the purpose of completing PROMs. Motivation to do so arose from a desire to help others. Demotivation was affected by inabilities to use electronic technology. In terms of completing PROMs, participants expressed varied ease of use, and some perceived technical challenges. The participants expressed satisfaction with the flexibility of completing PROMs in outpatient clinics or at home; nevertheless, some did not manage completion on their own. Help was of great importance for completion, especially for participants with limited electronic capabilities.