Developing core outcomes sets: methods for identifying and including patient-reported outcomes (PROs)

Table 1 Oesophageal cancer studies ( n = 56) using validated PROMs ( n = 21)

		n	(%)
Study design	RCT	4	(7)
	Longitudinal	25	(45)
	Cross-sectional	27	(48)
Publication year	<1995	1	(2)
	1995-1999	6	(11)
	2000-2004	12	(21)
	2005-2009	26	(46)
	2010-2011	11	(20)
Primary outcome
Clinical measure (for example, morbidity, mortality)		2	(4)
PRO (for example, HRQL, symptoms)		40	(7)
Undefined/both clinical & PRO		14	(25)
		Studies using PROM (n)	PROM scales and single items (n)
PROM	QLQ-C30	34	15
QLQ-OES18		19	10
SF36		12	8
QLQ-OES24		8	11
GIQLI		3	5
FACT-E		3	5
Adapted RSCL		4	4/5^a
QLQ-C36		2	18
GERD-HRQL		1	2
DAUGS32		1	7
LAGS		1	3
RSCL		1	3
Adapted RSCL		1	5
PNPC		1	9
WOCS		1	1
MOS SF20		1	6
PAIS		1	7
POMS		1	6
HADS		1	2
EQOL^b		0	5
QLQ-OG25^b		0	16

^aOne study used an adapted version with an additional scale [56].
^bSourced from authors’ knowledge; PROM yet to be used in a published study at the time of the conducted search.
DAUGS: Dysfunction After Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery; EQOL: Esophageal Quality of Life Questionnaire; FACT-E: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Esophageal; GERD-HRQL: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health Related Quality of Life; GIQLI: Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index; HADS: Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale; HRQL: Health-related Quality of Life; LAGS: Life After Gastric Surgery index; MOS: Medical Outcomes Study; OES: Oesophageal; OG: Oesophagogastric; PAIS: Psychosocial Adjustment to Iillness Scale; POMS: Profile of Moods States; PNPC: Problems and Needs in Palliative Care; QLQ: Quality of Life Qquestionnaire; RCT: Randomised controlled trial; RSCL: Rotterdam Symptom Checklist; SF36: Short form 36; WOCS: Worry of Cancer scale.