Some strengths and weaknesses of PROs
| The pathway in RA | The strong points of PROs | The weak points of PROs |
|---|---|---|
| Inflammation | PROs only indirectly reflect inflammation | |
| Symptoms | PROs reflect the patient's perspective and symptoms | Dealing with discordance between the physician and the patient, in treatment choices |
| Information that is distinct from physician-derived measures | Redundancy of information | |
| Good psychometric properties | Development and validation of PROs not always optimal | |
| Sensitivity to change | ||
| Damage | Predictive validity for structural damage is limited or unknown |
PROs, patient-reported outcomes; RA, rheumatoid arthritis.