Patient-reported outcome measures in emergency and acute care: looking beyond the emergency room

Abstract

Emergency medical care is a fundamentally important resource across the globe [1]. In the United States alone, more than 130 million visits to the emergency room occurred in 2020, of which 30% were related to injuries and 14% resulted in hospital admissions [2]. The acuity of the condition appropriately directs triage, urgency, resource use, and care intensity [3]. The adage "time is tissue" embodies the philosophy of emergency and acute care: to quickly provide the right care to patients to save their lives. However, mortality and the efficiency with which care is delivered, though incredibly important, should not be the only measures of care quality. Decisions made to treat the medical emergency can have profound short-and long-term consequences for patients, affecting physical function, mental health, well-being, and health-related quality of life.