Table 1.

Main characteristics of patient-reported outcomes (PROs outlined by Cella et al.) [5].

PRO Category	Main Characteristics	Main Strengths	Main Limitations
Health-related quality of life (HRQL)	- Is multidimensional - Can be generic or condition-specific	- Yields a global summary of well-being	- May not be considered a sufficiently specific construct
Functional status	- Reflects ability to perform specific activities	- Can be used in addition to performance-based measures of function	- May reflect variations in self-reported capability and actual performance of activities
Symptoms and symptom burden	- Are specific to type of symptom of interest - May identify symptoms not otherwise captured by medical workup	- Are best assessed through self-report	- May fail to capture general, global aspects of well-being considered important to patients
Health behaviors	- Are specific to type of behavior - Typically measure frequency of behavior	- Target specific behavior categories	- Validity may be affected by social desirability - May produce potential patient discomfort in reporting socially undesirable behaviors
Patient Experience	- Concerns satisfaction with health care delivery, treatment recommendations, and medications (or other therapies) - Reflects actual experiences with health care services- Fosters patient activation	- Is an essential component of patient-centered care - Is valued by patients, families, and policymakers - Relates to treatment adherence - Relates to health behaviors and health outcomes	- May be a complex, multidimensional construct - Requires confidentiality to ensure patient comfort in disclosing negative experiences - Does not provide sufficient evidence that activation enhances health care decision making