Patient-centered outcomes

Abstract

The term "patient-centered outcomes" can be understood as outcomes from healthcare that are important to patients, and involve both physiological and psychological outcomes which are usually quantified by a variety of assessment tools. These key measures are applied for patient assessment and measurement of change or impact of interventions (such as pulmonary rehabilitation) in patients with chronic respiratory disease. In the context of pulmonary rehabilitation, patient-centered outcomes are useful to characterize individuals and populations, assess the impact of programs, and follow the course of the treatment, as well as the course of the disease itself. This chapter describes different outcomes involving the following assessment domains: lung function and respiratory muscle force, symptoms, exercise capacity, peripheral muscle force, balance, body composition, quality of life, anxiety, depression, functional status, physical activity in daily life, and self-efficacy. In common, the authors aimed to identify the most widely used tests to assess that outcome, providing an overview of its use and its minimal important difference, when available.