Mr Dennis Kosuge is an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in hip and knee surgery. Alongside his clinical work, he has a long-standing interest in understanding how well treatments work from a patient’s perspective.

One of the main ways he does this is through PROMs (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures): short questionnaires that ask patients how they feel and how well they are able to carry out everyday activities before and after treatment.

For Mr Kosuge, PROMs are “important to be able to give a more customised or individualised answer” to patients about what to expect. Rather than relying on general success rates, PROMs help him explain how outcomes can vary depending on a person’s starting health, condition, and circumstances. This means patients can make more informed decisions and have more realistic expectations about their recovery.

PROMs also help capture things that traditional clinical measures can miss. For example, a joint replacement might look successful on an X-ray, but PROMs can show whether the patient actually feels better in their day-to-day life and “paint that picture a little better”.

How PROMs are used in your care

In practice, PROMs are used alongside other checks, such as scans and follow-up appointments, to build a fuller picture of recovery. Together, these help consultants and patients:

  • Track progress after treatment
  • Provide reassurance that recovery is going well
  • Highlight any issues that might not be picked up through other tests

Your responses also…

  • Help doctors learn what works best and improve care for their future patients
  • Help researchers develop sector-wide improvements for all patients

As more people take an interest in their own health data, thanks to things like smartwatches and the NHS App, PROMs are becoming increasingly important: giving patients more ownership and a stronger voice in their health.

PROMs usually take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete, and are typically sent out once to twice a year. By taking part, you are helping ensure the data reflects all patients, which supports better care for everyone.

How do doctors know if your treatment has actually worked?

Why it’s important to take part in post-surgery questionnaires

When you’re thinking about having medical treatment, one of the biggest questions is: “Will this actually make me feel better?”.

One of the main ways we measure this is through PROMs (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures). These are short questionnaires completed before and after treatment, asking how you feel and how well you can manage everyday activities.

Looking beyond follow-up tests

Mr Dennis Kosuge is an orthopaedic surgeon specialising in hip and knee surgery.

Alongside his clinical work, he has a long-standing interest in understanding how patients recover after treatment and whether that recovery matches their expectations.

For him, PROMs are “important to be able to give a more customised or individualised answer” to patients about what to expect. Instead of relying only on average success rates, PROMs help him explain how outcomes can vary depending on a person’s starting health, condition, and circumstances.

This helps him have more realistic conversations with patients about what they can expect after surgery.

Why your feedback matters

A joint replacement might look successful on an X-ray. But that doesn’t automatically mean a patient feels able to walk comfortably, sleep better or get back to activities they enjoy. PROMs help capture outcomes that traditional clinical measures can miss.

The National Joint Registry [1] defines failure of a joint replacement based on the need for it to be revised through surgery. This definition can miss out on patients who have had a joint replacement but are not happy with the outcome. PROMs can help paint a fuller picture.

Surgeons can understand not just whether an operation was technically successful, but whether it improved a patient’s quality of life.

How PROMs are used in your care

PROMs are usually completed before treatment and again afterwards.

Your answers will help:

  • Track progress after treatment
  • Reassure you that your recovery is on track
  • Highlight any issues that might not show up in tests
  • Help you have fuller conversations with your healthcare team

Many patients also find that completing PROMs helps them reflect on how far they’ve come since treatment.

Better care for everyone

When large numbers of patients take part in PROMs, the information can help medical professionals and researchers better understand which treatments work best and for whom. That means future patients can benefit from personalised information.

As more people take an active role in managing their health, whether through the NHS App or smartwatches, PROMs are becoming increasingly important. By sharing information about how you’re feeling and functioning in everyday life, you’re helping doctors build a more complete picture of recovery.

PROMs usually take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete. By taking part, you are helping ensure the data reflects all patients, which supports better care for everyone

[1] The National Joint Registry tracks the number of times a consultant needs to revisit a hip or knee surgery they’ve performed.

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