Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Use by Acute Care Pediatric Physical Therapists

Purpose: To describe the current use of and perceived benefits and barriers to using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) by pediatric physical therapists (PTs) in the acute care setting and to explore demographic factors that may explain the use of PROMs. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to PTs who work in a pediatric acute care setting. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the frequency of PROM use, identify differences in PROM use based on demographic factors, and evaluate the likelihood of various benefits and barriers. Open-ended survey responses were analyzed inductively to identify common themes. Results: The survey was completed by a convenience sample of 92 pediatric acute care PTs (30% response rate). Half of the respondents (n = 46; 50%) reported “rarely” or “never” using PROMs, while only 4.3% (n = 4) reported “always” using PROMs. No significant differences were found in the frequency of PROM between years of experience, entry-level degree, clinical specialization, or other demographic factors. Participants were “somewhat” or “extremely likely” to use the rate of perceived exertion (71%), the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (24%), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (17%). The primary facilitator was improving communication with patients (68%), while the main barrier was lack of availability (57%). Thematic analysis of open-ended responses indicated that the benefits of using PROMs include improving communication, providing objective data, and measuring progress. Barriers identified include inadequate resources, lack of time, and irrelevance to clinical practice. Conclusion: Many pediatric acute care PTs underutilize PROMs, with reported barriers of limited access and lack of time hindering implementation within the pediatric acute care setting. Survey respondents reported the desire to measure health-related quality of life and participation, which may be feasible through future quality improvement or knowledge translation initiatives.