In-Person Collection Increases Capture Rate of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients

Introduction This pilot program instructed staff to physically distribute and explain the significance of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to orthopaedic trauma patients during an in-person postoperative office visit. The goal was to assess the impact of in-person intervention on immediate and downstream PRO capture rates, as compared to a demographically similar cohort one year later who experienced no intervention. Furthermore, it was explored whether patient demographics such as age, sex, race, and ethnicity were associated with PRO completion rates. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective cohort study that reviewed patients > 18 years old who underwent orthopaedic trauma surgery at a Level I Trauma Center in the midwestern United States. These patients had PROs that were incomplete at the time of their in-person visit at the hospital’s specialty clinic. Patients were enrolled in the questionnaire module related to their surgery. After being enrolled into the hospital’s internal PRO program, a third-party vendor sent general health and anatomy-specific questionnaires over text and/or email at various postoperative time points. There were two study periods, an intervention and a control, that were equal in length and seasonally similar. Analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and longitudinal logistic regression models. Results The 67-day matched periods were compared between intervention and control groups. The intervention group showed a significant increase in PRO completion rates (51.2% versus 45.0%, absolute risk difference 6.2%, 95% CI: 0.7% to 11.7%) compared to the control. Multivariable logistic regression showed a twofold increase in odds of PRO completion (OR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.42-2.93) for patients who experienced in-person collection. However, the increased completion rate did not persist beyond the intervention period. Discussion In-person distribution by dedicated staff significantly improved PRO completion rate by orthopaedic trauma patients, as compared to a control group, although the effect was not sustained into the post-intervention period. Long-term improvement in capture rate may require better engagement strategies and integration into the clinical workflow.