Stakeholder perspectives on the use of patient-reported outcome measures in colorectal cancer survivorship care in general practice: qualitative study using interviews

TL;DR

The study explores how patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) could help colorectal cancer survivors and GPs in general practice by improving communication and monitoring treatment effects.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the feasibility and practical considerations of using PROMs in CRC survivorship care within general practice settings.

Findings

CRC survivors believe PROMs can reveal hidden treatment effects and improve communication with GPs.

GPs acknowledge PROMs' potential but stress the need for tangible benefits and resource considerations in their implementation.

Future research should focus on integrating CRC-specific PROMs into general practice workflows.

Abstract

To explore perspectives of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors and general practitioners (GPs) regarding the potential use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in survivorship care.

We conducted a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews with CRC survivors and GPs to explore their opinions on the potential utility, feasibility, and preferred method of PROMs utilization in their care/clinical practice. Thematic analysis was conducted using a qualitative descriptive approach.

Three themes emerged from 13 CRC survivor interviews:(1) potential of PROMs as tools for revealing and monitoring hidden CRC sequelae, (2) benefits and drawbacks to be weighed when using PROMs in CRC survivorship care, and (3) practical strategies to enhance the utility of PROMs in CRC survivorship care. Two themes emerged from four GP interviews:(1) current uses of PROM in general practice may indicate potential applications in CRC survivorship care, and (2) implementation of PROMs in CRC survivorship care needs to consider resource-limited general practice environments. CRC survivors had positive views about using PROMs in their care, believing they could be a valuable tool to enhance monitoring of treatment sequelae/and communication with their GP. GPs also acknowledged the potential utility but emphasized that for CRC-specific PROMs to be implemented, they first needed to demonstrate tangible improvements to the current way that CRC treatment sequelae were monitored and managed, considering already resource-limited Australian general practice settings.

Future research assessing the feasibility of integrating CRC-specific PROMs into general practice settings requires a particular focus on the resource implications within these settings

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-025-04116-5.

Those who have completed treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) often experience various post-treatment effects and concerns, such as fecal incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and anxiety about recurrence. While there is considerable knowledge about the benefits and feasibility of using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to improve the quality-of-life for individuals with cancer within cancer services, there is limited understanding regarding their feasibility in general practice settings. This study explored the perspectives of CRC survivors and general practitioners (GPs) regarding the potential use of PROMs in survivorship care.

Most CRC survivors expressed a positive view towards using PROMs in their care, believing that these tools could assist in recognizing treatment impacts and enhance communication with their GP. GPs emphasized the necessity for CRC-specific PROMs to clearly demonstrate tangible improvement in the way that CRC impacts were monitored and managed, with careful evaluation of resource implications, considering already resource-limited Australian general practice settings.

This study highlights the importance of recognizing the unique general practice setting and that knowledge gained from cancer services regarding the use of PROMs may not directly apply to this context. Future research should examine how cancer-specific PROMs, like those for CRC, can fit into the current workflow of general practitioners.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-025-04116-5.