Overview

Abstract

The assessment of health outcomes is rapidly evolving, with a growing interest in outcomes reported by the patient. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) constitute any report of the status of a patient’s health condition that comes directly from the patient without any interpretation of the patient’s response by a clinician or anyone else (US Food and Drug Administration 2009). Examples include patient’s report of their symptoms, physical function or patient satisfaction. However, emphasis on the patient’s own self-report has increased in the last two decades.

Living with a Chronic Disease

(Anecdote)

Having a chronic illness, Molly thought, was like being invaded. Her grandmother back in Michigan used to tell about the day one of their cows got loose and wandered into the parlor, and the awful time they had getting her out. That was exactly what Molly’s arthritis was like: as if some big old cow had got into her house and wouldn't go away. It just sat there, taking up space in her life and making everything more difficult, mooing loudly from time to time and making cow pies, and all she could do really was edge around it and put up with it.

When other people first became aware of the cow, they expressed concern and anxiety. They suggested strategies for getting the animal out of Molly's parlor: remedies and doctors and procedures, some mainstream and some New Age. They related anecdotes of friends who had removed their own cows in one way or another. But after a while they had exhausted their suggestions. Then they usually began to pretend that the cow wasn't there, and they preferred for Molly to go along with the pretense.

Alison Lurie, The Last Resort