The NJR continues to examine and analyse Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in order to build up a full picture of success for joint replacement surgery
In 2015/16 the NJR will be undertaking two PROMs projects.
Following the two- year pilot of shoulder PROMs which followed up patients at six months following surgery, the British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS) presented a report on the project to the NJR Steering Committee (NJRSC). Whilst the completion rate for the post-operative PROMs questionnaires had been relatively high at 75%, the completion of pre-operative Oxford Shoulder Scores had been low at 45%. The Steering Committee agreed to follow up patients for six months for a further year. The results of the additional year’s follow up data should be available by the end of 2015.
NJRSC also approved the follow up, at five years post-operatively, of the NJR’s own hip and knee project which will start in April 2015. The PROMs programme set out to follow up a cohort of 50,000 patients at one, three, and five years following surgery. Patients included in the cohort will have also completed pre-operative and post-operative (six months) questionnaires as part of the NHS England PROMs programme. This is the largest project of its type undertaken and, of the original 50,000 cohort, only about 8,000 have been lost to follow up.
On the year three questionnaire, an option was provided for patients to supply us with an email address. This was added with a view to developing an online solution for completing PROMs and the number of patients who supplied an email address, approximately 13,000, led to the NJR Steering Committee approving the development of an online ePROMs system. Patients will be sent a personalised email, explaining the project and asking them to complete an online form. A link in the email will take them straight through to their own questionnaire.