Quality of care as perceived by patients – PROMs and PREMs indicators

Measuring quality of care is a prerequisite for defining actions to be implemented and demonstrating progress for the purposes of improving the service delivered to patients. This approach, which has long been used by professionals to self-assess their practices, is enriched by the complementary vision of patients.

Three types of measures are used to assess quality of care as perceived by patients, using different tools: Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) for care outcomes, Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) for the care experience and patient satisfaction questionnaires to assess meeting of their expectations. Useful on an individual and collective level, patient-reported quality of care measures are increasingly employed in routine clinical practice, but they are still relatively little known, which justifies the publication of a series of clarifications on these new types of indicators by the HAS.

Based on research published in the literature and numerous illustrations, this report describes the theoretical foundations and methodological approaches, accompanied by practical cases, as well as the challenges relative to quality of care that could be met by proficiency in the use of these solutions. In particular, the aim is to improve communication between patients and professionals, personalise care and more effectively monitor patients' health.