Implementing Patient-Reported Measures into Emergency Care Workflows: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

<h4>Background</h4>Researchers have increasingly used patient-centered quality measures, such as patient experience and functional assessments, in the emergency department (ED) setting. However, understanding of how these measures are implemented (timing, mode, terminology and reporting) remains limited.<h4>Objectives</h4>This paper aims to summarize the current knowledge and articulate future research directions for implementing patient-reported measures in ED settings.<h4>Methods</h4>We performed a scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature on the implementation of patient-reported outcome and experience measures in the ED from January 1, 2010, to June 1, 2024 following PRISMA guidelines. We used a combination of controlled vocabulary (such as MeSH terms in PubMed) and keywords, including related terms and synonyms. Title and abstract screening followed by full text screening was performed independently by two reviewers, with adjudication through regular meetings.<h4>Results</h4>The initial search yielded 6103 articles, with 74 articles included in the final study. Thirty-five of 74 (47.3%) articles were related to instrument development, and articles related to patient experience were more common than articles related to patient outcomes (48.6% vs 27.0%). Key overall findings include: (1) inconsistent terminology leading to ambiguity regarding the measure being implemented; (2) a need for standardized ways of reporting on research related to patient-reported measures in the ED, and (3) a greater emphasis on the patient-centered measures themselves than the implementation process in existing literature.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Clarification of concepts and focus on the implementation process, including key clinical stakeholders, will facilitate the use of patient-reported quality measures in the ED.