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title: "Pre-Metrics for PKB for PROMs"
canonical: "https://wiki.patientsknowbest.com/space/DEPLOY/4957962243/Pre-Metrics%20for%20PKB%20for%20PROMs"
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> Macro (toc)

# Objective

The team aims to implement Patients Know Best (PKB) as the digital platform for collecting and managing Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). This transition replaces paper-based surveys, ad-hoc tools, or disparate systems with a single, patient-centred solution. By embedding PROMs into PKB, the Trust can capture meaningful patient feedback, support clinical decision-making, and meet national reporting requirements efficiently.


Currently, PROMs collection is often inconsistent, burdensome for staff, and fragmented across services. Patients may receive paper forms, third-party surveys, or none at all. Introducing PROMs within PKB ensures standardised, secure, and accessible data collection, directly linked to the patient’s health record.

# Key Considerations

Before rolling out PKB PROMs, the team should define clear goals, baseline metrics, and expected outcomes. Key factors include:

- Patient demographics   
Assess whether patients can engage with digital PROMs via web or mobile, and identify barriers such as illness, accessibility needs, or lack of internet access.
- Current workflows  
Review existing PROMs collection methods (paper, Excel, third-party tools). Redesign workflows so PROMs are embedded within PKB at relevant care points (e.g., pre- and post-surgery, long-term condition monitoring, beginning, middle and end of treatment).
- NHS strategies and compliance  
Ensure alignment with NHS England requirements for PROMs, ICS digital priorities, and national quality reporting frameworks.
- Clinical team requirements  
Adapt PROMs to specialty needs (orthopaedics, oncology, mental health, etc.), ensuring that data supports clinical conversations and service evaluation.


# PKB for PROMs: Benefits

Using PKB for PROMs offers several advantages:

- Improved patient engagement: Patients can complete PROMs securely at home, with reminders and easy access.
- Integrated data: PROMs feed directly into the patient record, accessible to both patients and clinicians.
- Operational efficiency: Reduces reliance on paper, manual data entry, and fragmented systems.
- Compliance and reporting: Meets national standards for PROMs collection and supports Trust-level outcome reporting.
- Continuous improvement: PROMs data enables service evaluation, quality improvement, and benchmarking.

![PHQ-9 demo.mp4](media://931743b8-d509-4710-86cc-31e1a4a10a38)

# Pre-Metrics for a Team

### Patient engagement and empowerment

- Metric 1: Current PROMs completion rates  
What to measure: Percentage of patients who currently complete PROMs (paper or digital) and response timeliness.  
Why: Establishes baseline for measuring improvement in completion rates with PKB.  
How: Audit existing PROMs return data across services if they are being used.
- Metric 2: Patient satisfaction with PROMs process or lack of  
What to measure: Patient-reported ease of completing PROMs and perceived value. If patients think it would be useful for their care and treatment.

Why: Baseline insight into patient experience before PKB rollout.  
How: Short survey alongside current PROMs collection.

### Communication efficiency and reducing administrative burden

- Metric 3: Staff time spent on PROMs collection  
What to measure: Average time nurses/admin spend distributing, chasing, and inputting PROMs manually.  
Why: PKB automation should reduce workload.  
How: Staff diaries, audits or survey
- Metric 4: Method of PROMs collection  
What to measure: Proportion of PROMs collected by post, in clinic, or digitally.  
Why: Shifts towards digital can reduce cost and delay.  
How: Audit current processes, what is the time cost if a patient doesnt bring in their PROMS sent in the post

### Operational efficiency and costs

- Metric 5: Cost of PROMs collection  
What to measure: Spending on printing, postage, and manual data entry.  
Why: Quantify cost savings achievable with PKB digital collection.  
How: Finance and admin audit.
- Metric 6: Data quality and accessibility  
What to measure: Proportion of PROMs captured in usable format (digital, structured) vs. non-digital/unstructured.  
Why: PKB improves data quality and make outcomes easier to analyse.  
How: Audit sample of PROMs submissions.

### Staff and organisational impact

- Metric 7: Staff satisfaction with PROMs process  
What to measure: Staff perceptions of current PROMs workload and usefulness of data.  
Why: PKB aims to improve workflow and data value.  
How: Staff survey.

## Methodology for Collecting Pre-Metrics

- Data Audits: Review current PROMs collection methods, completion rates, and costs.
- Surveys: Short, targeted staff and patient surveys on current PROMs experience.
- Time Studies: Record time spent by staff on PROMs distribution, collection, and inputting.


These pre-metrics can be adapted to any service or specialty. Please contact your PKB Success Project Manager for support with tailoring PROMs implementation to your team.

# Further Information

- [Benefits of PKB for PROMs](https://pkbdev.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DEPLOY/pages/4530929692): Secure, efficient, patient-centred data collection
- [SMART Goals for Implementing PROMs](https://wiki.hub.patientsknowbest.com/wiki/spaces/DEPLOY/pages/4976705589): example goals and premetrics to create before go-live
- [Capturing Digital Outcome Measures](https://wiki.hub.patientsknowbest.com/wiki/spaces/DEPLOY/pages/3731947525): examples outcome measure questionnaire templates and workflow