What Is the Relationship Between Clinician-reported and Patient-reported Outcomes in Orthopaedic Surgery?
Clin Orthop Relat ResMay 26, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchOrthopedic Surgery
Megha R Aepala, Sara Kiani, Teja Yeramosu et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review examined the correlation between clinician-reported outcome measures (CROMs) and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) across various orthopaedic conditions. The study found that condition-specific PROMs had stronger correlations with corresponding CROMs, with the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score showing correlations of r = 0.75 to 0.81. A total of 30 studies were included in the analysis.
Key findings
- Condition-specific PROMs correlated strongly with CROMs, with scores like the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score showing r = 0.75 to 0.81.
- General health PROMs, such as the EQ-5D, showed weaker correlations with CROMs, ranging from r = -0.29 to 0.13.
- PROMs demonstrated distinct correlations with hard CROMs versus soft CROMs, indicating varying relationships based on the type of measure used.
- Responsiveness of PROMs and CROMs was evaluated, with nine studies assessing their sensitivity to clinical change.
Why it matters
Understanding the relationship between PROMs and CROMs is crucial for clinicians to select appropriate assessment tools that capture both patient experiences and clinical evaluations, ultimately improving treatment outcomes in orthopaedic surgery.